"OH, there it is!" Mandie placed a cup of coffee and some bread in front of Seungcheol.

She hadn't planned on opening the door, but her ears were getting annoyed by the loud banging. So, she allowed him in to retrieve his things and leave freely.

"This is all you're going to feed me?" he complained.

She sighed, "Oh, come on! You're being picky, aren't you? I welcomed you into my house and fed you, and now you're being choosy?" she said with an exasperated expression. "You're quite something, Mr. Korean."

"I don't drink coffee in the morning. I prefer bacon and fried rice with fresh sandwiches."

"Well, all I have here is coffee. If you want bacon, rice, and sandwiches, go back to your own house!" she said angrily.

This guy was really something! After being kind enough to feed him, he had so many complaints.

"I wonder what kind of coffee this is," she overheard him mutter.

"What did you say!?"

He glanced at her. "Nothing. I said the coffee is actually quite good," he sarcastically remarked as he put the coffee cup down.

"Hurry up and leave. I have things to do. I want you out of my house, and it's hard to get rid of you here."

He laughed sarcastically, "Don't you know who I am?"

She glared at him, "Who are you?" she retorted. "You're Seungcheol Choi, twenty-seven years old, with only a thousand pesos in your wallet and a picture of your mom on your cellphone," she said with a smirk.

He frowned, "You rummaged through my belongings?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"I use credit cards; that's why I don't carry cash," he defended himself. "You'll regret everything you've done to me," he said firmly. "Don't you know that my family is influential, and I'm also the most famous Korean model in the country?" he boasted.

She rolled her eyes, "I don't care who you are. You're even one of those Korean models for shrimp," she mocked.

His gaze intensified. She could see he was restraining himself from grabbing and hurting her. She met his squinted eyes, but she couldn't hold her gaze for some unknown reason.

"I am a model for clothing lines. I endorse various products, and I have never modeled for shrimp," he said.

She just rolled her eyes again, "Enough talking! Just leave, I have a lot to do."

He stood up and looked at her, "Where's your bathroom? I need to take a shower."

"Don't bother showering; you already smell like that."

Surprisingly, he brought his face close to hers, and she instinctively moved back. She could smell his pleasant fragrance. Her heart started racing. What was happening to her?

"I've been annoyed with you since earlier, wait... I've had enough of your debts, and I make sure you'll pay for all your wrongdoings," he said with determination. Slowly, he moved away, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She composed herself and challenged his gaze, "I'm not afraid of you," she said boldly. "After all, you're the one who barged into my house."

"Huh! Your house, huh? I assure you, by tomorrow, this house will be mine," he declared firmly.

"That won't happen because this house is mine. Do you understand? This is my house!" she yelled, not backing down.

He just shook his head and went straight to the bathroom as if he owned the place.

"Annoying!" she muttered in frustration. "Ugh! Why does that man keep insisting that my house belongs to him? I'll lose my mind if I have to talk to him any longer."

She still needed to go to work today. Her job with her client from yesterday was not yet finished, and she had to take more photographs. But she couldn't leave the house because of this annoying man. She was furious because he ruined her evening and now her day.

She sat down and crossed her arms. She had to wait for him to finish showering so she could lock the door and prevent him from coming in again.

As she was lost in her thoughts, he startled her with his voice.

"Where are my clothes?"

She looked up, and she couldn't help but gulp when she saw him wrapped only in a towel. Mind you, it was her towel, and she felt a shiver down her spine. His hair was still wet.

'Mandie, focus, focus!' she scolded herself.

She noticed him grinning as he saw her freeze. "Is this the first time you've seen a fit body?" he teased.

That brought her back to her senses. "Do you really think you have a great body? Look at your muscles; they're uneven. And your abs, they're so small, like tiny bread," she said, managing to taunt him even though she felt herself blushing.

His eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists, trying hard to control his anger. "I have the most beautiful and hottest body among all the models," he said.

"People must be blind to think that. You're not even good-looking, and your smile is so ugly," she mocked. "Can you be my girl?" she imitated one of his lines from a commercial. She finally remembered where she had seen him before. He was indeed the model for a clothing line she despised. Who would've thought that someone so unattractive would be projecting in front of the camera?

"You'll see, woman, and no one has ever told me that my smile is ugly."

"Well, someone just did, so maybe it's time for you to wake up. Hurry up and leave," she changed the topic.

He passed by her, still giving her a sharp look. She just sneered at him.

__________

MANDIE firmly closed the door of the house and locked it.

"You really locked it, huh? No need to do that because today is your last day to stay in my house," Seungcheol said firmly.

She looked at him. "You know what you should do? Leave my house. Geez, I'm late for work," she dismissed him.

It took him several hours to finish getting dressed. He took longer than a woman to get ready. She could only wait for him to finally leave the house.

"You better say your goodbyes to my house because I'm sure this is the last time you'll see it," he said sharply, giving her a stern look.

"I don't have time for your insults, you Korean model of shrimp. Now go and multiply some shrimp!" She pushed him as they approached the gate. She quickly locked the gate again. She glanced at him. "What are you still lingering there for? Just leave!"

"You'll pay for all your debts," he said with a sharp gaze.

"Whatever!" she brushed past him and left ahead. She saw him get into his luxurious car.

She continued walking. She didn't expect him to follow her outside. She might even catch an infection if she were to ride in his car. She was almost near the exit when she was startled by the sound of his car horn.

"Oh, son of a Shrimp!" she exclaimed in surprise.

He lowered his car window and sneered at her. In retaliation, she grabbed her high-heeled shoe and threw it at him. Fortunately, he was quick to close the window, but her shoe hit the rearview mirror of his car.

She covered her mouth upon hearing the loud crash. She quickly retrieved her shoe and hailed a passing taxi.

She saw him through the rearview mirror as he got out of his car, looking furious.

She smiled to herself, "Serves you right," she thought with satisfaction.

______________

"HALA-BEOJI!" Seungcheol shouted loudly at his grandfather as soon as he entered their house.

"Where's the fire, Seungcheol?" his grandfather asked while descending the stairs.

"I want you to sue that woman," he said, unable to wait until his grandfather had fully come down the stairs.

His grandfather laughed, "Who is this woman?"

"That woman in the glass house," he said firmly. "You said you gave me that house as a gift, but how come someone is living there, claiming that house?" he asked, confused.

His grandfather sat on the sofa while he remained standing. "Oh, I see now," he said nonchalantly.

"This is just the beginning," the words of his grandfather were not clear to him, so he brushed them aside.

"She doesn't know what really happened," he said instead.

"Happened?" he repeated. "You said you bought that house?"

"Yes, actually, grandson, I bought that house a long time ago. When the original owners were still alive, they sold the house to me. Because I didn't need the house at that time, I allowed their child to live there since they had nowhere else to go. And I didn't need that house back then. But now it's about time to claim that property, and it's all yours."

"I see. But why is she insisting that the house belongs to her?"

"Because that young girl doesn't know that her parents sold their house while they were still alive."

"So, that's the reason," he said, rubbing his forehead. "But she's not off the hook yet. I've had enough bad luck. She has to pay for what she did to me," he said angrily.

"Why, Seungcheol? What did Mandie do to you?"

"Mandie? You know her name?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's written in the papers."

"You can't believe that woman ruined my life. She not only ruined my moment with Missy, but she also kicked me, locked me in the storeroom, hit me with a frying pan, and kicked me. And this morning, she broke the mirror of my car," he recounted all the misfortunes Mandie caused him.

To his surprise, his grandfather just laughed. "I didn't expect that from that young girl. Don't blame her, Seungcheol. She was probably just taken aback, that's why she did those things to you. She's just protecting herself and the house."

He furrowed his brows. "You're still defending her after what she did to me? I want a lawyer, and as soon as possible, I'll kick her out. I want her to regret everything she did," he firmly told his grandfather.

"Don't be too harsh on her, Seungcheol," his grandfather said seriously.

"But, 'pa, she ruined my night and morning," he tried to explain. "And if you don't want to kick her out, then I'll do it myself," he declared.

"Okay," was all his grandfather said.

His grandfather was annoying, taking Mandie's side. He wouldn't allow it! He would find a way to make her pay.

What she did to him was still fresh in his mind. He's Choi Seungcheol, a well-known model. His Korean heritage was unmistakable, especially his eyes, which were his most dominant feature, as one magazine put it. He endorsed many products, and all of them were popular. Many said that he had a strong influence on people, which is why many brands wanted him as their endorser, especially clothing lines.

But all his self-confidence was shattered by Mandie's actions. No one had ever done those things to him before, and it was only that woman.

She didn't even recognize him and openly criticized him. Everyone had been telling him that his smile was his most beautiful asset, but Mandie had a way of pinpointing his insecurities. Damn her for saying that his body was ugly. Women usually admired his muscles and abs, but she had to find fault with them.

He was irritated, and she had so many things to answer for. He was determined to make her regret her insults and attacks. Goodness! No one had ever dared to kneel before him, and his most valuable possession almost got damaged from the force of her kneeling. And damn her for ruining his luxury car. Tomorrow would be the worst day of that woman's life!

'Mark my word, Mandie.'

_______________