I’m 58 years old. I’ve been living alone for the past eight years. My son has his own family, but he visits me often. My husband left me for a younger woman eight years ago. The loneliness was driving me crazy. I had friends, but you know, friends aren’t the same as having someone to cuddle up with on a rainy day, watching a TV show on the couch.

So, I decided to try my luck online. I knew there were plenty of dating sites. And I take care of myself—I go to salons, stay active, play music, and exercise several times a week.

“Why not give it a try?” I thought. I found a site that seemed simple and straightforward, full of people who looked normal. A week later, I agreed to meet my first date. We planned to meet at the park in front of my house—quiet, sunny, and just the kind of place I liked. I waited for Fedor on a bench.

He was ten minutes late, but I tried to stay patient. After all, he was coming from the other side of the city—maybe there was traffic. Long story short, I didn’t like him from the moment I saw him. His profile had very little information, just a few photos. He showed up wearing sweatpants and sandals. Thankfully, at least he wasn’t wearing socks with them… But he smelled like smoke, used crude language every other sentence, and we had absolutely nothing in common. We parted ways quickly. Still, I didn’t lose hope.

Then, another man messaged me. He was two years younger than me, but I remembered the saying, “Love has no age.” We agreed to meet for lunch at a restaurant. He arrived on time, seemed polite, and wore a simple suit with leather shoes. Everything was going well—until the waiter came.

He spoke to the waiter as if he were a servant. That put me off immediately, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, hoping he would make up for it by engaging in a nice conversation with me. Then, our order was slightly delayed. It was only by a minute, but still… Michael started getting agitated. He stood up and marched to the kitchen to find out what was taking so long.

While he was gone, his phone rang. It was sitting right in front of me. I glanced at the screen—and the word “Wife” caught my eye.

I didn’t hesitate. I got up, grabbed my coat, and walked out.

After two failed attempts, I never went back to those dating sites. You know what? I’m doing just fine on my own.