When my husband and I were newlyweds, we met another young couple, Daniel and Elise. We became close very quickly and spent a lot of time together. Then, without any warning, they stopped responding to our calls and messages. I was confused and hurt, but my husband told me to let it go and not dwell on it.

Three years went by, and one afternoon I saw Elise at the bank. I walked up to her and asked why they suddenly cut us off. As soon as she saw me, she turned pale, and her voice shook a little when she answered.

She told me that years ago they had seen a news report about a man who had the exact same name as my husband. That man had been wanted in connection with a financial crime. They panicked, assumed it was my husband, and decided to distance themselves so they wouldn’t be involved in anything.

I was shocked. I explained that my husband had never been arrested for anything and that the man on the news must have been someone else with the same name. Elise looked embarrassed and admitted that they had been young and scared, and instead of asking us about it, they simply cut off contact.

I left the bank feeling relieved to finally understand what had happened, even though the reason felt silly. When I told my husband the story later, he laughed about how he had apparently been mistaken for a fugitive. We never reconnected with Daniel and Elise, but at least the mystery was solved.