A SELF-PROCLAIMED trophy wife in a 29-year age gap relationship says she bagged her husband by demanding a $1,000 weekly allowance.
Alyssa Armoogam, 30, met her husband, Mark, 59, on a dating app after setting her sights on an “older rich man.”
The pair hit it off and Mark, an entrepreneur and investor, impressed mum-of-two Alyssa by giving her $300 to pay for her babysitter.
She agreed to keep dating him if he met her terms – paying for her beauty treatments and giving her a $1,000 weekly allowance to feel “secure.”
Now married for two years, Alyssa still loves being bought romantic gifts – such as getaways and designer handbags.
The Miami-based influencer hopes to encourage other women to “know their worth.”
“I don’t care if someone is rich if they are an a***hole,” Alyssa explained.
“There is the idea I’m only with him because of his money, it was one of my requirements but I wouldn’t have married him because of that.
“We really encourage the best out of each other, we see the potential in each other.”
Alyssa has always preferred to date older men – and her first crush was Robert Downey Jr.
“When I started dating people older my mum wasn’t surprised,” she said.
Alyssa was “miserable” and “over” her last relationship when she moved to Florida in 2018.
She decided to hit the dating apps but was set on what she wanted – someone rich, attentive, and who had faith as an important aspect of their life.
Alyssa’s first question to potential dates was “How do you feel about Jesus?” and Mark’s answer caught her by surprise.
“His answer was so funny. He said: ‘How do I feel about Jesus? I toured the country talking about him,'” she recalled.
“I thought ‘Wow, I wasn’t expecting that’ and we hit it off from there.”
Her second demand was “I’m willing to meet you but you have to cover the babysitter.”
“If a dude is going to argue with me about $45 for a baby sitter – he’s not worth my time,” Alyssa said.
When they met for their first date Alyssa was immediately attracted to Mark.
“His eyes literally sparkled, he has a very kind soul and his eyes twinkle,” she said.
“I really felt like I knew him and at the end he handed me $300 [£237] to cover the babysitter.”
Mark immediately texted Alyssa asking to see her again.
“He was very persistent,” she recalled.
“I said: ‘OK, here are my terms – I want someone paying for my nails, hair, and waxing.’
Alyssa Armoogam
“I said: ‘OK, here are my terms – I want someone paying for my nails, hair, and waxing.’
“I want a $1,000 [£790] weekly allowance to feel secure and I want to be exclusive.
“He immediately sent me $2,000 [£1,580] and said I wasn’t going on another date with anyone else.
“I loved it because I felt he had made it 100% clear how he felt about me.”
The money Mark sent Alyssa meant she was able to put a deposit down on a flat for herself and her daughter, Ziya, 11 – who Mark has now adopted.
Their relationship blossomed and after two years together, Mark popped the question in 2020.
The couple tied the knot in a small legal ceremony in April 2022 and a month later they welcomed their son, Keanu, two, together.
Alyssa calls herself a trophy wife but she feels her marriage is very much a “partnership.”
“Anything I want to pursue I can do it, any dream I have is shared and any desire is met,” she said.
She explained that in return she is her husband’s “biggest cheerleader.”
But Alyssa does love being spoilt by Mark and she no longer receives an allowance as they equally share their money.
“He’s such a Pisces. He’s very romantic, I told him I like getting little small gifts,” she said.
“He takes that and understands it, he takes me shopping and buys me a Louis Vuitton.
“That’s his normal behaviour. That’s him romancing me.”
Alyssa says the age gap doesn’t bother her or Mark but some people jump to conclusions.
“When people look at me they make assumptions on who I am and my intentions – because of my age and appearance,” she said.
“When people talk to me they see how much love I pour into my family.
“There’s no question of why we’re together, it’s not like he’s an ugly fat fart, he’s a handsome guy.
“Age – what does it matter if our souls align?”
Alyssa is working on a clothing line for breast feeding women and is considering creating a course called “Dating like a trophy wife.”
“When I went into the dating scene I had this idea of what I wanted in a man,” she explained.
“I knew what I’d be bringing into that person’s life, that’s what made me feel firm on my requirements.
“Women are not realising their worth.”
