A new acquaintance, who is already 59 years old, said that he is looking for a wife no older than 30. When I asked why, his answer both made me laugh and upset me.

I am forty-six years old. For the past twelve years, I have been self-employed, earning a stable income. I have never been married and I do not have children. My new acquaintance, Anton, is fifty-nine. His profile picture showed a strict portrait: a suit, gray hair, and a confident look. In our messages, he was polite, wrote intelligently, and avoided any foolish hints. Everything seemed respectable.

One evening, out of curiosity, I typed his name into a search engine and accidentally came across his profile on a dating website. I opened it and read: “Looking for a wife. Age 25–32. I am 59.” I closed the page and decided it was his personal business.

But the next morning, before our meeting, I thought: I wonder what he would say if I asked him directly.

Anton arrived exactly on time. Tall, well-groomed, wearing an expensive suit, a nice watch, and a pleasant fragrance. We sat down in a café and discussed the project. He spoke clearly, professionally, and without unnecessary words. The business part of the meeting went smoothly.

When we finished, he relaxed and said:

“It’s a pleasure working with such a professional woman. Most specialists usually talk nonsense.”

I smiled and thanked him. Gradually, the conversation turned personal.

“Are you married?” he asked.

“No.”

“Did your career get in the way?”

“I simply never met the right person.”

Anton nodded and said that he had been single for two years after his divorce and was now looking for a relationship.

“Do you use dating sites?” I asked.

“Yes. My profile is active. I know exactly what I want, so I filter carefully.”

I decided not to beat around the bush.

“I saw your profile. It says you’re looking for a woman no older than thirty-two. Is that important to you?”

“Yes,” he replied calmly.

“Why?”

He took a sip of coffee and said:…..

.

“Because younger women are easier. They don’t live in the past, they don’t complain, and they take life more lightly.”

After hearing those words, I felt both amused and saddened.

“So women your age only live in the past?” I asked.

“In most cases, yes. Constant complaints, resentment, dissatisfaction. They’re difficult to be with.”

I set my spoon down in my cup.

“And are you easy? You’ve been divorced twice, you run a serious business, and you have your own problems. You talk about difficulties too. You also have health issues.”

He frowned.

“I’m not complaining. I’m stating facts.”

“And when a woman talks about her difficulties, that’s considered complaining?”

He began to get irritated.

“I just want comfort.”

“Comfort means a young woman who doesn’t argue and looks up to you?”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No. You don’t want a woman your own age because a woman your own age is an equal partner.”

He pushed his cup away sharply.

“I thought you were reasonable, but it turns out you’re too principled.”

“Not all men are bad. But when a fifty-nine-year-old man looks for women in their thirties and explains it by saying women his age are ‘difficult,’ that says a lot.”

He stood up.

“We shouldn’t work together. You’re confrontational.”

“I simply disagree with writing off women my age.”

He quickly packed up his tablet and left.

I stayed in the café and finished my cold coffee. I paid only for myself because I do not accept even a cup of coffee from men with views like his.

That evening at home, I spent a long time thinking about our conversation. I am forty-six years old. I have wrinkles and gray hair. I started a business twice. The first time I failed; the second time I succeeded. I took out loans and paid them off. I buried my father and supported my mother through illness. I know what it means to work sixteen hours a day and refuse to give up.

I do not live in the past. I live in reality, where there are both problems and victories.

But he wants a woman who has not yet faced serious hardships. Someone who will not ask about his two divorces. Someone who will not notice the blood-pressure medication he takes in the evenings. Someone who will admire him.

He does not want a woman.

He wants the illusion that he is still young and flawless.