A woman says she can’t stop thinking about a man she met 10 years ago, even though she “barely” knew him. She wonders if she “might be in love” with him — and if he might feel the same.
She shared her story on the U.K. forum Mumsnet. She explained that when they first met, they “had a thing” but she turned down his advances. They stayed casual acquaintances through work, talking only when necessary, and the friendship never went deeper. Eventually, they had a small disagreement and stopped talking.
“I moved away and didn’t contact him again since we weren’t connected through work anymore,” she wrote. “I also felt like he was never going to take things further with me.”
Over the years, she said she thought about him but always pushed those feelings aside, assuming he didn’t feel the same. She later heard through a friend that he had settled down and had two children, but she didn’t know if he was still with their mother. He isn’t on social media, so she couldn’t check.
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Recently, she says she can’t stop imagining what might have happened if things had been different. She often pictures meeting him again and wonders if she’s “crazy” for feeling this way.
Her post, titled “I think I might be in love with someone I barely knew 10 years ago”, ended with her saying the situation makes her feel “like an idiot.”
Commenters didn’t hold back. Many said she was in love with the idea of him, not the real person. “It’s a fantasy of what you want it to be,” one wrote. Another said, “It sounds like you’re lonely and have romanticized the memory.”
Some reminded her that he has likely moved on completely. “With kindness, he has probably never thought about you again,” one person wrote. “We all have moments of ‘what could have been,’ but try to let it go. Unrequited love is a waste of your time.”
