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Teen engaged to 53-year-old forced to justify relationship

A teenager is starting wedding plans with the 'man of her dreams' despite her parents' disapproval of their 33-year age gap.

Michaela Matson, 19, is madly in love with her truck driver fiancé William Maldera, 53, and became engaged two months ago.

But the couple are holding off on the nuptials until next year to give Michaela's parents have had time to 'adapt to the situation'.

There's a 33 year age gap between Michaela and William. Photo: Caters
There's a 33 year age gap between Michaela and William. Photo: Caters

Until then the couple who are often affectionate in public 'laugh it off' when they are confused for 'father and daughter' rather than future husband and wife.

"We don't expect people to know we are engaged, and not father and daughter because age gap relationships aren't typical,” Michaela said, “we try not to let it bother us.”

"I've been called his daughter quite a few times, but he proudly tells them she's my fiancé, other times we laugh it off while they apologise. We don't hide our relationship at all and we do show affection to one another in public."

Michaela says friends often quiz her about intimate aspects of their relationship and don't understand how two people over three decades apart could have 'anything in common'.

They challenge the misconceptions and say they can't wait to wed next year.

They met online, but she lives in the US while she lives in Canada. Photo: Caters
They met online, but she lives in the US while she lives in Canada. Photo: Caters

"There's so much we both like and have in common it's like we are in sync with one another,” she said.

"We have more in common than we don't have, we both love European food, expensive cars and music, I play the violin and he's been singing for a long time.

"It's hard for some people to understand age-gap relationships, but William and I are really happy, we can't wait to be married."

Despite this, it was very difficult for Michaela, who lives in the US, and William, who lives in Canada, to meet in person for the first time.

After meeting on an 'emotion venting' app last year, they spent months speaking multiple times per week over video chat before they decided to meet.

But after telling her parents about William, they told her to end the relationship and sent her to a psychologist.

Determined and love-struck, Michaela went against their wishes and flew from her home in Nebraska, USA, to be with her other half in Alberta, Canada.

"We were video calling on Facebook almost daily, if not three to four times a week, dependent on his work and my school schedule,” she said.

"He made the first big move by saying 'I love you' and I said it back a month later, he hit all the right areas with me apart from me living in America and him in Canada.

"My plan was to go and visit him without telling my mum other than leaving a note, but my man wanted me to tell her before I left.

"Then both my mum and William wanted me to tell my dad, I had a bad feeling about telling him and I have never seen him so upset in my life.

"He threatened to disown me if I decided to keep dating William

"Then I was sent to see a psychologist, who agreed with what my parents wanted that I had to 'end it' with William.

"Whenever I was texting him, my dad asked if I was talking to 'the piece of ****'.

"Because I had given my mum my passport after telling my parents about, what should have been, my vacation with William, I had to apply for a new one and set aside money for myself to move in with him.

"But as soon as I saw him at the airport I dropped my luggage and ran, I was so excited and overwhelmed to finally meet face to face.

"He made me feel like I was at home immediately and it's been great ever since, a few months ago he asked me to be his wife, I couldn't ask for a better man as a husband.

"We are hoping to get married next August or September, I want to wait for my family to come around a little more and adapt.

"I left the wrong way, but my parents are slowly accepting is and told me 'It's my life', and neither want to lose me."

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