A WOMAN has revealed the shocking abuse she experienced after unexpectedly falling in love with a colleague 21 years her senior.
Mikayla Rowat, 25, from Longford, Ireland, felt the sparks while helping Niall Gill, 46, with a compensation claim at the construction company they both worked for in 2022.
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Mikayla Rowat, 25, and Niall Gill, 46, fell in love while working together at a construction company Credit: True Life Stories
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The couple tried to keep their relationship a secret and went on a secret date at McDonald’sCredit: True Life Stories
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Eventually, their colleagues found out thanks to tracking devices on official cars Credit: True Life Stories
The couple fell madly in love, but they kept their relationship a secret, fearing the opinions of their work colleagues.
And their fears turned out to be correct as, when their workplace found out, Niall claims he was labeled a ‘hairdresser’.
The couple eventually quit their jobs and moved, but faced cruel taunts from friends, family and strangers who called Mikayla a ‘child’s girl’, a ‘gold digger’ and a ‘trophy’.
Despite the criticism, the couple only got stronger and are now speaking out in an attempt to raise awareness about age gap couples, stressing that age is just a number.
Mikaya, now a receptionist, says: “Against all odds, Niall and I are planning to get married soon.
“In 2024 is a year and people have accepted so many types of relationships, yet couples because of the age difference are stifled, judged and ridiculed.
“I hope other age gap couples know that they should never be ashamed and never fall for anyone’s mean comments or disapproval.
“Niall is the love of my life and the best thing that ever happened to me.”
In 2022, Mikayla was 23 years old and worked as a manager at a construction company in Meath, Ireland.
Her colleague, Niall, worked as a painter for one of the branches and was 44 years old.
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Mikayla says: “I’ve seen Niall in the office before. But one afternoon he came in for an insurance claim for a collision with the van he was in, and that was the first time we’d spoken.
“He was short, had gray stubble and was underweight which suited him well.
“He had a lovely accent and was incredibly sweet. Up until that point, I had never liked an older man.
“But I started hating guys my own age. Even though I was in my early 20s and living at home, I already felt ready to settle down.
“Whereas the men in my age group only cared about going out for a drink and I was often picked on.
“However, I still wondered if my crush on Niall was real.
“I thought maybe it was a fluke for an office romance, but at home I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”
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The couple broke up when the taunts from colleagues proved too much for Niall to take Credit: True Life Stories
A few days later, Mikayla heard that Niall had come down with Covid, so she sent him a text checking on him.
To her surprise, he was delighted by her message, and after that they corresponded every day.
Mikayla says: “I found out that Niall and his wife are divorcing. They were 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 silly comedies.
“He was 21 years older, but I have never felt more connected to someone in my life.
“After keeping our distance in the office all week, we secretly met at McDonald’s after work one night.
“We were both looking over our shoulders every 10 minutes, stressing that we were going to get caught.”
A week later, Mikayla introduced Niall to her mom, who was the same age as him and also going through a divorce.
To Mikayla’s surprise, they hit it off and her mom said she would like someone older.
Mikayla says: “I fell madly in love.
“Niall really opened up after that and revealed that he had a tough time, dealing with a lot of toxicity in his life.
“I soon met his sons and they loved me.
“But when we got back to work, Niall and I decided to keep it a secret. He was especially embarrassed and worried about what people would think of our big age difference.
“After hiding it for four months, everyone in the office found out.
“Our company cars had tracking devices so the CEO could see us at our place and in cafes on our breaks.
Everywhere we went, strangers stared. And when we went on vacation, the couples whispered to each other
Mikayla Rowat
“Then one day a colleague said that everyone in the office was saying I was Niall’s ‘trophy’ and he was only with me because I was ‘young and fresh’.
“It was so nasty. I told them it was nobody’s business. Niall was also devastated by it.
“We soon started talking in the office and were horrified when Niall was labeled as a groomer.
“The gossip mill went into overdrive and it seemed as if everyone had decided that he had taken advantage of me and that our relationship was wrong and disgusting.
“It was funny because I was chasing him. I was a grown woman.”
Mikayla says that over time the comments began to take a toll on the relationship.
“Niall started to close down emotionally with me, and eventually he quit his job,” she says.
“He couldn’t handle the verdict.
“After that, Niall ended up dumping me. He told me that he didn’t love me and he got into a bad state mentally.
“Until then, I hated everyone at work for judging us. So, in the end, I also submitted my resignation.”
But later that year, Mikayla and Niall got over his fears and reunited.
They moved to Longford, Ireland, an hour away, and both got new jobs at different companies.
But in stores and in public, he struggled to hold Mikayla’s hand and worried about what everyone thought.
Mikayla says: “He kept thinking that everyone thought I must have been with him for the money. It was ironic because we earned the same amount.
Age gap relationships that have stood the test of time
- Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble – 25 The Kardashian matriarch met her younger man at a mutual friend’s 40th birthday party in Ibiza. They have been together since August 2014.
- Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson – 23 years. The director and actor reportedly met at a film audition in 2009 and married in 2012. The couple share two daughters, and Sam has two children from a previous marriage.
- Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham – 20 years. The model started dating actor Jason in 2010. They got married in 2016 and have since had a son and a daughter together.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas – 25 years The couple was introduced at a film festival in 1996 and got engaged three years later. Shortly after their engagement, the couple had a son and married in 2000.
“Wherever we went, strangers stared. And when we went on vacation, the couples whispered to each other.
“I once heard people laughing that I was a gold digger. Another said ‘Look how young his girlfriend is.’
“Humiliated, Niall would be silent. While I would have been furious and stopped myself from lashing out at them.”
But the couple did not only have to fight with strangers and colleagues.
“Unfortunately, Niall’s family wasn’t very accepting of everything either,” admits Mikayla.
“People from his past called me his ‘toddler girlfriend’ and being with me made him the worst father.
“His friends made vulgar comments about my body, while people on the Internet would write under our photos asking if I was serious ‘with that old man?’
“It was terrible. We didn’t understand how people could be so cruel when we grew up.
“It’s ironic that everyone hated us together that I was the healthiest I’ve ever been.
“I went from being anorexic to being triple, because of Niall. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Despite all the criticism they faced, 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 slowly began to come, seeing how happy they made each other.
Mikayla says: “Now Niall and I are planning to get married and we are concentrating on our happiness.
“She’s going to reverse her vasectomy so we can have a baby.
“Despite the hell that Niall and I have faced, we are living proof that age really is just a number.
“If you’re in an age gap relationship, don’t let anyone get you. If I did, I wouldn’t have the love of my life.”
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Couple speak out to encourage other age gap couples to be open about their relationships Credit: True Life Stories
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