I wasn’t at all interested in him. But I was a TA in a chemistry class for the summer and he was in it. Somehow I caught his eye and kept asking me out. Coffee, tea, a movie. I always said I was busy. We finally happened to meet at a French film on campus, serendipitously, I thought. He was with a girl-friend, whom I assumed was a girlfriend. We all talked for a while, longer than I would allowed myself without a third party involved. He asked me out again, and against my better judgement, I said yes. (It was swing dancing and I couldn’t say no to that. I love dancing. Why I love my dancing Kpop groups.). And I assumed it was just “as friends.”

It was a fun night. I met some fun girls at the place we went and as I was the “unnie,” I was able to give them some advice about love and loss, entirely ignorant of what I was doing that night.

We went to a late night diner for dinner.

We talked a long time. I don’t even remember about what exactly, amnesia due to the shock I got later…

He was older, about 4-5 years than I. Went back to school after finishing a military commitment. His life wasn’t easy, but through a scholarship, found himself at a liberal arts school attended by lots of chaebols, those with means, and me. And that girl I met was not his girlfriend, just some there to scope me out, to make sure I was normal.

I still had no idea I was on a date, really.

He then told me about the son and the ex-wife with whom he still lived.

I don’t know what I looked like when he dropped those bombs. I’m sure I turned some ashen shade. I was a novice in dating and being innocent was an understatement. Suffice it to say, I politely listened to the rest of the story of his life and bowed out. I’m pretty sure I drove myself there and drove myself back home.

You’d think this would be the end.

Unfortunately, it was not.

How difficult was it to avoid him? Turned out, really difficult. But I did for several days, pretty talented of me as I was still the TA in his chemistry lab.

I met up with an older girl friend from another school at a bookstore several days or even weeks later and recounted the entire story, leaving out no details.

As I was ending my tirade, who should pop out from behind a bookshelf, but the divorcee in question and his son!

And again, I turned ashen.

I graduated and came back for an interview for the school a year later. The interview was in the library and who should be there studying? You all guessed it.

I don’t even remember his name, but I remember his son’s name for whatever reason, and that he is probably about 25 years old now.

I’ve not uttered this story to anyone in 20 years, because of how marvelously it imploded, but I’m sure even now, someone here is this person or his son, our maybe even his ex-wife. Because that’s my life.

@justme,
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Holy moly that is creepy!