I’m 29 and I fell in love with a person 24 years older than me
A woman says she’s fallen head over heels for a man 24 years her senior – and vows to ‘stick by him’ despite bashing from family and online trolls.
Realyn Solero, 29, from the Philippines, said she saw Reynaldo Maquinay Jr, 53, as a ‘father figure’ and found him ‘annoying’; after the two initially met while working for the same company.
Realyn, a virtual assistant, said she repeatedly declined Reynaldo’s attempts at romance as she ‘didn’t fancy’ him, but his persistence soon saw the mother-of-one ‘fall in love’ with the machine technician.
The couple sealed their love with holy matrimony two years ago, but despite being together for nine years, they say family and strangers are yet to come to terms with the age gap and have accused Realyn of being after his wealth.
‘At the beginning he was persistent in showing his feelings, which annoyed me’ said Realyn.
Realyn Solero, 29, says she’s fallen head over heels for Reynaldo Maquinay Jr, 53 (Pictured: the couple at Realyn’s graduation)
Realyn and Reynaldo Maquinay Jr, both from the Philippines, have been together for nine years
‘However, he continued to show care that I hadn’t experienced in my past relationships [and] as the months passed I realised I had fallen in love with him’.
Realyn claims her new partner gave her the kind of attention, kindness and concern she’d never experienced before, and before she knew it, herself and Reynaldo were obsessed with each other.
Although her family accused her of being a golddigger, Realyn claims there is in fact no gold to dig.
‘There were unnecessary comments made because of the fact I already had a child’ explained Realyn.
‘Friends and family thought I wasn’t serious about the relationship and would leave him as soon as I got what I wanted from him – which they thought was money.
‘Little did they know he had no savings, no businesses, no nothing. He was just a regular company employee.
‘Eventually I made them realise they were wrong about me and him. He is a good, responsible man’.
She also revealed that her 11-year-old daughter, Rhianna Jane Solero, from a previous relationship, adores Reynaldo.
The mother-of-one said she initially saw Reynaldo as a ‘father figure’ and found him ‘annoying’
She also revealed that her 11-year-old daughter, Rhianna Jane Solero, from a previous relationship, adores Reynaldo. (Pictured: Realyn, Reynaldo and Realyn’s daughter, Rhianna, when she was younger)
She added: ‘He guides me on the right path and most especially he’s been a good and responsible stepfather to my child.
‘He treats my daughter as if she’s his own and that makes me be more in love with him’.
As if judgement from friends and family wasn’t enough, the couple have had to battle with negative comments from strangers and online trolls.
Still, Realyn remains steadfast and insists she doesn’t ‘owe’ anyone ‘an explanation’.
‘At the beginning, it was really hard for me as most of the time I was the one who was criticised’ she said.
‘I’m the one who is judged and a lot of people think I am after his money and benefits. But I know the truth, I know I love him so I got used to the comments and learned to ignore them.
The couple met while working at the same company and sealed their love with holy matrimony two years ago (The pair pictured during the early stages of their romance)
Realyn revealed the two ‘often argue in selecting designs, colours, films to watch, and places to travel’
‘Now, if I read or hear unnecessary comments about me or our relationship I just smile at them or ignore them’.
Criticism of their romance is just one of the challenges the couple faces. The nearly three-decade age gap has proven to cause chaos in their personal lives too.
‘Because of our 24-year age gap, his likes are totally different from mine’, explained Realyn. ‘Hobbies, movies, fashion, all of it!’ she continued.
‘We often argue in selecting designs, colours, films to watch, and places to travel. But little by little, we have learned how to adjust’.
Now the mother-of-one says being with an older man is the best thing to have happened to her and she couldn’t be happier.
She said: ‘I have learned a lot from him. He is not just a husband to me but also a father who always reminds me what is bad and good.
‘He is very understanding and never gets mad’.
Realyn said family and strangers are yet to come to terms with the age gap and have accused Realyn of being after her man’s wealth (Pictured: A video grab of Realyn and Reynaldo having fun together)
She concluded with a piece of advice for women contemplating following in her footsteps.
Her words for other women in a similar position are to ‘stick by your man’ and ignore what other people think.
She added: ‘Don’t mind what other people think of you or of your relationship.
‘You don’t owe them an explanation and besides, what matters is just you and your partner.
‘As long as you love each other, age is not a problem. Just focus on your goal and family and let them realise that they are wrong on what they think of you or on your relationship’.
