When Mr. Right Walked In… and I Stalled

Ever since the breakup with the man-who-had-everything-but-craved-more, I spent months anxiously watching my back, half-expecting him to claw his way back into my life. When the fear finally subsided, I took a deep breath, looked around, and thought—what next?

Turns out, not much had changed in the 2.5 years I had been off the market (for that really is what it is). Except, of course, me—my understanding of what I wanted, what I didn’t want, and what my own limitations were. The latter is a subject for another blog. The former, however, was an eye-opening experience, and for that, I suppose, I should be grateful to the man-who-had-everything-but-craved-more (let’s call him The Man). If nothing else, I had learned at least what I did not want. And I had learned to be content with what I did have.

Or so I thought.

Enter: The Dream Guy.

Deciding to be brave, I tiptoed back onto a dating app (the very same one where I had met The Man), but this time, in stealth mode—visible only to those I chose. I approached it with great intent and purpose, adjusting my filters with the precision of a sniper:

✔️ Similar social circles
✔️ Culturally familiar
✔️ Same languages, same schools
✔️ Family rooted in the same city for generations

A month in, and it all seemed futile. Until one day, the algorithm whispered, For you…

There he was. Quite literally my dream come true.

Now, I had never dreamt of the perfect man, but if I had, this was him. I actually sat up, rubbed my eyes, and pinched myself. Was this happening? Not only had I found the unicorn, but he swiped right too. Finally, a match!

Tall, great smile, well-educated, clearly took care of himself. A go-getter, from an old, well-regarded local family (like mine), loved coffee (like me), and—by all appearances—single and available. Naturally, I did some digging (old habits) and confirmed the facts. This was it. I had arrived.

I wasted no time mentally mapping out our dates. Romance was imminent.

And then, straight out of a Bridget Jones plot twist…

Enter: Reality.

At work, I was tasked with setting up interviews with some important people—and guess who made the list? Him. Oh, how I laughed.

Of course, I had to let him know. Cue overthinking. Cue agonising over the text. After much internal sweating, I finally sent it.

His response? Relax. It’s all fine.

The day arrived, and I was a bundle of nerves. Would he acknowledge a connection? Would he be warm? Would we pretend we didn’t know each other? By the time he was due to arrive, my stomach was in knots.

And then—he walked in.

Cool as a cucumber in the blistering heat, surrounded by a bevy of young assistants, all with perfect hair and manicured nails.

Immediately, I felt old. Ordinary. Out of my depth.

My skin was flushed from the heat, my hair a mess from running around all day, and even though I had made an effort to refresh my lipstick, I knew my simple outfit and general appearance would never leave an impression on one such as this.

Of course, being the picture of professionalism, I shook hands, snapped into work mode, and got on with it. But inside? Blank. Brain fog. Mortification.

And then I did the worst possible thing. A runner.

I couldn’t stand there another second, not in front of his entourage of effortless cool. Not in front of him, exuding power while surrounded by his simpering support staff.

And just like that, the moment was over.

Exit: The Dream Guy.

There were a few strained texts afterward. He vaguely mentioned traveling and meeting up when he got back. I said of course, of course. And then—nothing.

Disappeared. Like a fever dream.

I will never quite understand why it played out the way it did. I was so sure I had found the one. But in the end, he turned out to be more than I had bargained for—and clearly, I wasn’t his cup of tea either.

So, bygones and all of that. But I’m still trying to figure out—what exactly is the moral of this story?

Anyone?

According to my AI friend, "Sometimes, what we think we want isn’t what we actually need. And sometimes, the universe steps in and quietly closes a door for us—before we waste too much time trying to open it."