Name: Samantha (pseudonym), 50
Status: Divorced, professional in a listed company, living in Malaysia
Zi Ming caught my attention the first time he messaged me on Instagram early this year. “You remind me of my teacher,” he wrote. “I miss her very much.”
I use Instagram a lot to keep in touch with my overseas friends, and I get messages every day from strangers trying to hook up. They’re always like, “Hi, beautiful” or “Hi, darling”.
Why am I your darling? I don’t know you! I usually block and report them to Instagram.
But Zi Ming was different. Teacher? Wow. That was interesting. That was how we got chatting.
Usually, people who’re out to scam you would want to ask more about you, right? To find out more so they can target you. But he didn’t. He could go on and on about himself, and his messages were super long.
For the next few months, we chatted almost every day. He was 39 years old, witty, intelligent and chatty. We shared many jokes and laughed a lot.
I wasn’t actively looking for someone. I live and work in Kuala Lumpur. I got divorced many years ago and raised my daughter by myself. Now that she’d graduated and I had a bit more freedom, I thought maybe I could make a friend online.
And maybe I could have a second chance at love. With Zi Ming, I thought I’d won the lottery.
