I fell for an older man but was forced to move when he was called a groomer
A WOMAN has revealed the shocking abuse she endured after unexpectedly falling in love with a colleague 21 years her senior.
Mikayla Rowat, 25, from Longford, Ireland, felt the sparks fly when she helped Niall Gill, 46, with an insurance claim at the construction company where they both worked in 2022.
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The couple fell madly in love, but kept their relationship a secret for fear of the opinions of their colleagues.
And their fears turned out to be justified, because when his employer found out, Niall was, by his own admission, labelled a ‘treater’.
The couple eventually quit their jobs and moved, but they faced mean comments from friends, family and strangers, who called Mikayla a “kid friend,” a “gold digger” and a “trophy.”
Despite the criticism, the couple has only grown stronger and are now speaking out to raise awareness for age gap couples, emphasizing that age is just a number.
Mikaya, now a receptionist, says: “Against all odds, Niall and I are planning to get married soon.
“It’s 2024 and people have accepted so many types of relationships, yet couples with a large age gap are still suppressed, judged and ridiculed.
“I hope other age gap couples know that they never have to feel ashamed or give in to the mean comments or disapproval of others.
“Niall is the love of my life and the best thing that ever happened to me.”
In 2022, Mikayla was 23 and worked as a manager at a construction company in Meath, Ireland.
Her colleague Niall was 44 years old and worked as a spray painter for one of the branches.
Mikayla says: “I had seen Niall in the office before. But one afternoon he came in about an insurance claim for a collision with a company van he had been involved in, and it was the first time we had spoken.
“He was short, had graying stubble and was a bit heavy, which suited him.
“He had a beautiful accent and was incredibly cute. Up until that point, I had never had a crush on an older man.
“But I started hating boys my age. Even though I was in my early 20s and still living at home, I already felt ready to settle down.
“While men in my age group were only interested in going out and drinking, and often made fun of me.
“Still, I kept doubting whether my crush on Niall was real.
“I thought it might be a kinky relationship for the office, but at home I could think about him all the time.”
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A few days later, Mikayla heard that Niall had contracted COVID and she texted him to see how he was doing.
To her surprise, he was happy with her message and from then on they texted each other every day.
Mikayla says: “I found out that Niall and his wife were getting divorced. They had been married for eight years and had two children, then aged 5 and 7.
“But we had a passion for tattoos, animals, murder mysteries, travel and even loved the same wacky comedies.
“He was 21 years older, but I had never felt so connected to anyone in my life.
“After keeping our distance in the office all week, we secretly met at McDonald’s one night after work.
“We both looked over our shoulders every 10 minutes because we were afraid we would get caught.”
A week later, Mikayla introduced Niall to her mother, who was the same age as him and was also going through a divorce.
To Mikayla’s surprise, they hit it off and her mother said she was attracted to someone older.
Mikayla says: “I fell madly in love.
“Niall really opened up after that and said he’d been going through a tough time and dealing with a lot of toxicity in his life.
“Soon I met his sons and they loved me.
“But back at work, Niall and I chose to keep it a secret. He was mostly embarrassed and worried about what people would think of our large age difference.
“After hiding it for four months, everyone in the office found out.
“Our company cars were equipped with trackers so the CEO could see us at each other’s homes and during our breaks in coffee shops.
Everywhere we went, strangers stared. And when we went on vacation, couples whispered
Mikayla Rijat
“Then one day a colleague said that everyone in the office said I was Niall’s ‘trophy’ and that he was only with me because I was ‘young and fresh’.
“It was so bad. I said it was nobody’s business. Niall was devastated too.
“We soon became the talk of the office and were shocked when Niall was labelled a ‘trimmer’.
“The gossip mill was in full swing and it felt like everyone thought he had taken advantage of me and that our relationship was wrong and disgusting.
“It was ridiculous because I was the one chasing him. I was a grown woman.”
Mikayla says the comments eventually began to take their toll on the relationship.
“Nial started to shut down emotionally from me and eventually quit his job,” she says.
“He couldn’t handle the judgment.
“After that Niall left me. He told me he didn’t love me and got into a bad place mentally.
“By then I hated everyone at work because they judged us, so I eventually resigned.”
But later that year, Mikayla and Niall overcame his fears and got back together.
They moved to Longford, Ireland, an hour’s drive away, and both got new jobs at different companies.
But in stores and in public, he had trouble holding Mikayla’s hand and worried about what others thought.
Mikayla says: “He kept thinking that everyone thought I was with him for the money. It was ironic because we earned the same amount.
A-list age gap relationships that have stood the test of time
- Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble – 25 Years
The Kardashian matriarch met her younger husband at a mutual friend’s 40th birthday party in Ibiza. They have been together since August 2014. - Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson – 23 years old
The director and actor reportedly met at an audition for a film in 2009 and married in 2012. The couple have two daughters, and Sam has two children from a previous marriage. - Rosie Huntington Whiteley & Jason Statham – 20 Years
The model began dating actor Jason in 2010. They married in 2016 and have since had a son and a daughter together. - Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas – 25 years
The couple were introduced at a film festival in 1996 and got engaged three years later. Shortly after their engagement, the couple welcomed a son and married in 2000.
“Everywhere we went, strangers stared. And when we went on vacation, couples whispered.
“I once heard people sniggering that I was a gold digger. Another said, ‘Look how young his girlfriend is.’
“Humiliated, Niall would go quiet. While I would be furious and stop myself from raging at them.”
But it wasn’t just strangers and coworkers the couple had to deal with.
“Unfortunately, Niall’s family wasn’t all that positive either,” Mikayla admits.
“People from his past called me his ‘little girlfriend’ and that made him the worst father.
“His friends made vulgar comments about my body, while people online wrote under our photos asking if I was serious ‘with that old man’?”
“It was horrible. We didn’t understand how people could be so cruel when we were consenting adults.
“The irony of the fact that everyone hated us together was that I was healthier than ever.
“I went from anorexia to 8 pounds, thanks to Niall. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Despite all the criticism, the couple went from strength to strength and Niall, now a van driver, proposed to Mikayla in July 2023.
Over time, their friends and family members joined in because they saw how happy they made each other.
Mikayla says: “Niall and I are now planning to get married and focusing on our happiness.
“He’s going to reverse his vasectomy so we can have a child.
“Despite the hell Niall and I have been through, we are living proof that age really is just a number.
“If you’re in an age gap relationship, don’t let anyone touch you. If I did, I wouldn’t have the love of my life.”
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