When he finally asked me out, I said yes without hesitation. My heart was pounding; I prepared carefully: I put on my best dress, curled my hair, did my makeup. I thought this evening would change my life.

I entered the restaurant with a slight smile, trying to look confident. But the moment I saw him at the table everything changed. He greeted me not with joy or warmth but with a long, contemptuous look that scanned me from head to toe. In his eyes there was coldness and disgust, as if he were looking at something unpleasant rather than a woman.