It was a romantic fling that nobody expected would end with a happily ever after. But now, Joanna Girling is proving all her relatives and haters wrong.
The middle-aged Brit, who found love with an Egyptian local, is still trying for a baby with her 'soulmate' and is set to get married in Cairo this summer.
Joanna, 48, was swept off her feet by Hysm Fygo, 40, while living in Hurghada in May 2019, shortly after being dumped by another younger man from Egypt.
"Lots of people didn't think our relationship would last because of what happened to me in the past," Joanna told the Mirror.
"They still think Hysm is just with me for my money, but I know it's not true. When I first met him, I had nothing and he knew I had no money.
"Hysm actually got a bank loan out to pay for my visa in Egypt after I got divorced."
The ex-Tesco worker fell for her former boyfriend, Hassan Kahlied, on holiday in 2018, and would sneak off to sleep with the waiter while her husband slept.
When she returned to England, Joanna broke off her marriage to pursue Hassan - who was in his twenties - but he ended it after her she "ran out of money".
The following year, Joanna went back to Egypt to start a new life, working as a nursery teacher and, by chance, crossed paths with her now-fiancé Hysm.
"It was in the back of my mind at the start that Hysm was going to be the same as Hassan - wanting money," Joanna said.
"I was only with Hassan for a month and he gave me a list of things he wanted - cognac, aftershave, trainers, a phone. He kept asking me to send him money.
"So when I met Hysm, I kept pushing him away. He said to me, 'Look I'm not after your money. It's you that I want to be with'."
The shop worker charmed Joanna until she finally trusted him - and she's so glad that she did.
"Hysm makes me feel great. He made me trust people again. He is my soulmate," Joanna said.
"There seems to be a magnet that keeps us together. There's something there that I've never had in previous relationships, even with my ex-husband.
"We would love to have a family but it might not be possible because I'm 48. We've been trying for four years but nothing has happened."
Despite having the support of Hysm's family, Joanna's own relatives shunned her when she first moved abroad.
"My family still don't speak to me and they haven't since I left to come to Egypt in 2019. I speak to friends that I used to work with at Tesco," she said.
"Some of them didn't think it would last but I'm still here."
Joanna, from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, met Hysm while she was out for a drink with a friend at his herbs and spices shop in 2019.
The flirty pair got talking and organised a taxi home together, where they enjoyed a night of passion at Joanna's apartment.
It was an instant connection for Joanna, who "wasn't out there looking for love", but found it in the most unlikely of places.
In 2021, Joanna returned to the UK to save up some money and get a formal divorce, so her and Hysm could marry officially in Egypt.
"He always tell me that I'm beautiful. The eight-year age gap means nothing to me because my ex-husband was 12 years older," Joanna said.
At the beginning, the couple had sex together every day and they still get intimate every couple of days.
"The spark is very much still there, definitely. We have sex so much more than I have done in previous relationships," she said.
"Sometimes, when we've got the money and time off, we like to go out to a club and go dancing, or sit on the beach and relax."
Hysm often woos Joanna with traditional Egyptian cooking in their rented apartment in Hurghada.
Though the pair hope to save up and buy a property together in Luxor, after paying for their wedding day.
"Western women have to go to Cairo to get married, it's a bit like a registry office. It's not straightforward like in England," Joanna said.
"It's about 50,000 Egyptian pounds (£1,200) and we're looking at next month. I want Hysm to have a wedding because he's never had one.
"He's got a very big family so we'd invite a couple of thousand people. It will be a two-day wedding party."
Joanna, who earns approximately £200 a month working seven days a week on a boat, said the salary in Egypt is "very low".
"We are thinking about going to the UK for a year to save some money. I'd like to show him a proper English seaside and take him to London," Joanna said.
Hysm has family in England and has never visited the UK before, though a tour with Joanna could be on the horizon.
Joanna added: "People said that it wouldn't last and we've been together four years now. I went with my heart and had a lot of backlash, but I proved them wrong."
Did you fall in love abroad? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
