The Greasy Neighbor Demanded My Building As Dowry

My new neighbor, a guy who claimed to be a big-shot returnee from Wall Street, spent every day posting thirst traps in our building's group chat.

He even had the nerve to tag me specifically.

@Seraphina Sterling, be honest, are you obsessed with my abs or what?

I was in the middle of signing a multi-million dollar contract, so I just shot back a quick reply.

If you're feeling that weak, go buy some BlueChew and stop acting like a dog in heat here.

I didn't expect him to start making up a whole fake history of me chasing after him right there in the chat.

He told everyone I watched him shower every day and that I left red lace lingerie at his doorstep.

The neighborhood busybodies started calling me shameless, saying, "That girl looks so quiet, but she's actually a total slut."

The neighbor, Tyler Vance, took it a step further and dragged a beat-up stool to sit right in front of my door.

"Fine, since you're so obsessed with me, I guess I'll do you a favor and take you in."

"But my family owns property, and a girl like you who's throwing herself at me needs to provide a luxury penthouse in the Gold Coast as a dowry."

"The deed has to be in my name, or you'll never set foot in my family's house."

He held up a printed-out, fake deed, grinning with a look that was both greasy and disgusting.

What he didn't know was that this entire building, including the unit he was renting, belonged to me.

1.

Tyler Vance moved into our complex last week.

He lived right across from me in Unit 802.

The first thing he did after joining the owners' group chat wasn't saying hello.

Instead, he posted a mirror selfie.

In the photo, he was shirtless, flexing his flabby abs, with the waistband of his underwear hanging out.

The caption read: Just got back from Wall Street. The gym equipment in this country is such a joke. But I've still got my foundation. A little workout is all it takes for a perfect body.

The chat went dead silent for two whole minutes.

Then, Mrs. Higgins from the neighborhood committee sent a thumbs-up emoji. Looking good, young man! Do you have a girlfriend yet?

Tyler replied instantly: Mrs. Higgins, I have high standards. I don't deal with basic chicks. In New York, blonde models were lining up for me, and I didn't even give them the time of day.

I was in a meeting at the office, and my phone wouldn't stop vibrating.

When I checked it, the chat was filled with Tyler's spam.

He wasn't just posting photos; he started tagging the young women in the group.

As the owner of Unit 801, my nickname in the chat was my unit number and my real name.

He tagged me directly: @801 Seraphina Sterling, I heard you're single? Living across from a high-quality guy like me, I bet you can't even sleep at night, right?

I stared at the screen, feeling a wave of nausea.

I had just secured a massive piece of land in the south of the city, and a contract worth hundreds of millions was waiting for my signature.

I didn't have time for this idiot, so I muted the group notifications.

Ten minutes later, I got a private message.

Tyler had sent a friend request with a note: Stop playing hard to get. I know you've been watching me. Accept this and I'll give you a chance to chase me.

I hit decline and blocked him immediately.

Apparently, that set him off.

He posted another photo in the group chat, this time fresh out of the shower with water dripping from his hair.

@801 Seraphina Sterling, are you so obsessed with my abs that you're afraid to add me? Scared you won't be able to control yourself?

A few of the neighborhood gossips immediately jumped in.

Oh, Sera, Tyler has such a great background. Why are you acting so stuck up?

Exactly. A girl should be more proactive when she meets a good man.

Looking at these toxic comments, my temper finally flared up.

I replied directly in the group: If you're feeling that weak, go buy some BlueChew and stop acting like a dog in heat here. Also, did you draw those abs on? The shading is totally uneven.

The chat exploded the second I sent that.

2.

Exposed in front of everyone, Tyler turned into a raging lunatic.

He started spreading insane rumors about me in the group.

Seraphina, who are you kidding? Don't think I don't know you press your ear against my door to listen to me shower every night!

Last night, you even snuck over and left a pair of red lace underwear at my door! What, are you too chicken to admit it now?

The old folks in the group flocked to the drama like flies to garbage.

Mrs. Higgins sent a long voice message:

"I knew it. That girl looks so sweet, but she's a total fox behind the scenes. Tyler, honey, you better be careful. Don't let a woman like that ruin you."

An old man named Mr. Gable chimed in: "Young people these days have no shame. Using such dirty tricks just to climb the social ladder."

I looked at the disgusting messages and laughed from pure anger.

Red lace underwear?

My closet was filled with custom-made power suits; I didn't even own a single piece of red clothing.

I was about to fire back when my assistant, Marcus, walked in.

"Ms. Sterling, the Southside contract is signed. I need your final signature. Also, there's a global video conference at three."

I took a deep breath and flipped my phone over on the desk.

With millions of dollars on the line, I didn't have time to argue with a delusional scrub.

"Give me the contract," I said coldly.

I spent the entire afternoon in the conference room.

By the time I finished work, it was already dark.

I rubbed my sore neck and picked up my phone.

The group chat had over a thousand new messages.

Since I hadn't replied, Tyler assumed I was guilty and grew even more arrogant.

He was describing vivid, disgusting details about how I was "throwing myself" at him.

He claimed I knocked on his door at midnight wearing a sheer nightgown.

He even said I offered to wash his underwear just to get on his good side.

The neighbors were eating it up, calling me every name in the book.

I calmly screenshotted every single message.

Defamation is a crime, especially when it reaches this many people.

Tyler, you're digging your own grave.

I packed my things and drove home.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I saw a familiar figure standing by my door.

It was Mrs. Higgins.

She was clutching a tote bag, peeking through the crack of my doorway.

Hearing the elevator, she turned around, and her face darkened the moment she saw me.

"Seraphina, you're finally back. I've been looking for you."

She crossed her arms, acting like she was some moral authority.

I ignored her, walked to my door, and pulled out my keys.

"Something wrong, Mrs. Higgins?" I asked without looking back.

"Is that how you talk to your elders? No manners at all!" she shouted. "I'm asking you, are you stalking poor Tyler?"

I turned around and looked her straight in the eye.

"Mrs. Higgins, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't say whatever you want. Did you see me stalking him with your own eyes?"

"Still denying it! Tyler said it himself in the group! You left those trashy things at his door! Don't you have any self-respect?" she screamed at me.

3.

I swiped her pointing finger away from my face.

"Mrs. Higgins, you're getting old and your brain is clearly failing you. I don't blame you for that. But if you try to boss me around again, don't say I didn't warn you."

She froze.

She was used to being the neighborhood bully, with everyone acting polite to her face.

Being shut down so harshly made her turn red with embarrassment.

"You've lost your mind! You do something that shameful and then get mad at me? I'm going to the property manager. I'll have a woman like you kicked out of this complex!" she shrieked.

"Go ahead. The exit is that way. Don't let the door hit you on the way out," I sneered.

"By the way, defamation carries legal consequences. I recorded everything you just said."

I waved my phone at her.

Her face went pale, she gave me a nasty glare, and then scurried away.

I went inside and slammed the door.

These people were absolutely insane.

I poured a glass of wine and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city lights.

I owned properties all over this city. This building was just one of my early investments.

I had picked a unit here just because it was close to my office.

I never expected to deal with such freaks.

The next morning, as I opened my door to head to work, I saw a crowd gathered in the hallway.

Tyler had dragged a crappy stool out and was sitting right in front of my door.

He was wearing a tight tank top, trying his best to show off his arm muscles.

When he saw me, he jumped up and blocked my path.

"Seraphina, you finally crawled out? I thought you were going to hide in there forever."

He raised an eyebrow, looking down at me with pure arrogance.

The hallway was packed with neighbors looking for a show. Mrs. Higgins was right there in the middle.

She was whispering to the person next to her, rolling her eyes at me every few seconds.

I looked at Tyler coldly.

"A good dog doesn't block the road. Move."

He didn't move. Instead, he took a step closer.

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and shook it in my face.

"Seraphina, give it up. I know you're crazy about me. Since you're so desperate, I'll be generous and take you in."

He paused and raised his voice so everyone could hear.

"But my family owns land. A desperate girl like you needs to provide a luxury penthouse in the Gold Coast as a dowry. The deed has to be in my name, or you'll never get into my family."

A collective gasp went through the hallway.

"A luxury penthouse? That's millions of dollars!"

"That's a big ask. Can she even afford that?"

"If she can't afford it, she shouldn't be chasing a high-quality guy from Wall Street. Know your place."

The neighbors were buzzing, all of them enjoying my supposed humiliation.

Tyler looked at me triumphantly and shoved the paper toward my face.

"Take a good look. This is the deed to my property in New York. I'm a man of means. A regular office worker like you should be thanking her lucky stars I'm even talking to you."

I glanced at the paper.

It was a poorly printed piece of junk. The English was full of grammar mistakes, and even his own name was spelled wrong.

I almost burst out laughing.

He was trying to flex a fake deed in front of me? The actual landlord?

Does he have rocks in his head?

4.

I crossed my arms and stared him down.

"You're telling me this deed is yours?" I pointed at the trashy paper.

"Duh! Who else's would it be? I was a top exec on Wall Street making seven figures. Buying a place like that is nothing to me."

He tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling with his nose in the air.

Mrs. Higgins chimed in from the side: "Sera, Tyler's such a catch. What's wrong with buying a condo for the man you want to marry? You have to show some sincerity."

"Exactly. Girls these days are so entitled. A guy like Tyler is out of your league," Mr. Gable added.

I looked at these idiots being played by Tyler and found the whole thing hilarious.

"Tyler Vance, let me ask you one last time. You want me to buy a luxury penthouse and put the deed only in your name?" I asked, enunciating every word.

Thinking I was giving in, his face lit up with greed.

He puffed out his chest and shouted, "That's right! And not just the penthouse. You need to provide a car worth at least eighty thousand dollars. And your salary goes to my mother after we're married. Do that, and we can get the marriage license tomorrow!"

The neighbors were all nodding along.

"That's fair, considering he's a returnee."

"Yeah, if she agrees, she's basically hitting the jackpot."

The sheer absurdity of it made my blood boil.

I've seen shameless people, but this was a whole new level.

A broke loser who couldn't even fake a document correctly was demanding a penthouse and a luxury car from me?

"Seraphina, what are you waiting for? Speak up! My time is money, I don't have all day."

Tyler was getting impatient.

He reached out, trying to grab my arm.

"Back off!" I shouted, slapping his hand away.

He jumped back, startled by the intensity in my voice.

"Don't be ungrateful, Seraphina! I'm doing you a favor by wanting you! You're just a desperate girl, stop acting like you're special!" he roared.

I watched him lose his cool and sneered.

"Tyler, you keep saying I'm chasing you, that I left underwear at your door and watched you shower. Do you have proof?"

"Everyone in the group knows it! That's proof enough!" he yelled.

"They 'know' it because you lied about it. I'm asking for actual evidence. Photos? Security footage?"

I took a step toward him.

His eyes flickered with a hint of panic, but he doubled down. "Of course I have it! I'm just trying to save you some dignity by not showing it!"

"Fine. Show it right now. If you can't, then you're a liar and a harasser. I'll call the cops."

I pulled out my phone and dialed three numbers.

Seeing me actually calling for help, Tyler panicked.

He lunged at me, trying to snatch my phone.

"You're calling the cops? Seraphina, have you lost your mind?"