My Instagram crush finally went out with me, we had an amazing night, and then over dessert they asked when they get to meet my micro-influencer ex. Turns out they only said yes for clout, thinking we were still together. Am I supposed to laugh, cry, or block?

Block them, and definitely laugh while your thumb hits the screen. You didn't just have a bad date; you were accidentally treated as an unpaid networking ticket. Being freshly out of a relationship is bewildering enough without discovering someone was trying to use your romantic history for follower growth. That's not a misunderstanding, that's opportunistic social climbing dressed up as chemistry. Save your breath on explaining your heartbreak or confronting their audacity. Clout-chasers don't do genuine remorse; they just look for another tag. If you feel like replying at all, keep it ruthlessly brief: "Looks like you were hoping for a collab, not a date. Best of luck with the algorithm." Then archive the chat and don't look back. Take the ego hit in stride: you proved you're ready to get back out there, and your next date should be looking at your face, not your ex's follower count.