Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Terrina Jairaj

Woman ghosted a matchmaker’s setup and forgot about it. Then the man from the photo sat down next to her at lunch: ‘This is gonna sound insane’

A woman just lived out a real-life rom-com plot twist so wild it sounds scripted. Orange County mom and TikTok creator Max Areeg accidentally met a man in person that a matchmaker had tried to set her up with months earlier without either of them realizing it. The kicker? She had ghosted the setup, forgotten all about it, and then sat right next to him at her daughter’s cheer competition. 

“This is gonna sound insane,” she admitted in a viral TikTok video posted May 4, 2026, that’s already racked up nearly 22,000 likes. Areeg’s story isn’t just a bizarre coincidence. It’s a snapshot of how single moms are navigating dating, parenting, and self-discovery today. Her experience mirrors a broader cultural shift where women are rewriting the rules of single motherhood, often on their own terms. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.