Long before she became First Lady, Melania Trump was simply a young woman from a small Slovenian town pursuing a career in modeling. She would eventually find success in the United States, meet Donald Trump, and step onto the world stage. But according to a former boyfriend from her hometown, her future once looked very different.

In the 1990s, Melania left Slovenia as a teenager and headed toward the fashion world. She grew up in modest circumstances in the town of Sevnica, where her interest in modeling and style began early. It was also there that she experienced her first serious relationship—with[ii] a young man named Jure Zorcic.

Jure recently shared memories of their time together with ABC News, and his recollections sound straight out of a romance film. He says they met by chance: he was riding his motorcycle when he noticed her walking down the street and was immediately captivated. “I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was,” he recalled. “She dressed with elegance, moved with confidence—tall, with long hair falling over her face. You could barely see her eyes. She already looked like a fashion icon.”

America was never the plan, he says

According to Jure, the connection between them was instant. They spent time talking over coffee, and he quickly realized Melania wasn’t like most girls from their town—she was ambitious and driven. Still, he insists that moving to the United States was never part of her vision at the time. “She wanted to live abroad, yes—but somewhere in Europe,” he explained. “Places like Italy or France, close to the fashion scene. America wasn’t even a thought.”

Before New York, Melania worked in Paris and Milan, steadily building her modeling career. When she eventually told Jure she was heading to New York, he says he was surprised. “She said it was for a hair care campaign—that’s what brought her there,” he recalled.