She wasn't his type.

That was the reaction of beauty queen Miriam Quiambao when she first met Hong Kong-based Italian businessman and restaurateur Claudio Rondinelli in October 2002. For Claudio, however, it was love at first sight.

His persistence was record-breaking. Back in Hong Kong, he arranged to have a Makati flower shop send Miriam eight dozen pink potted roses every day for eight straight days. When the shop ran out of pink roses, he had them deliver tropical plants, then red roses. The persistence paid off. Miriam and Claudio exchanged marriage vows just a little over a year after they first met.

But in June 2006, Miriam went back to Manila and announced their separation. Reports said that their breakup was caused by cultural differences. Time also became an issue, according to rumors. Claudio reportedly gave Miriam more money than time and attention.

Some good things truly never last.