Assalamu alaikum - Feeling Conflicted About Hijab and Marriage

Assalamu alaikum, I’ll be honest and get straight to it. I’ve worn the hijab for a long time, but because of family remarks and my own insecurities I removed it in private. I thought it would be temporary until I finished my master’s, but now I’ve started job hunting and did interviews without the hijab. Alhamdulillah, by Allah’s grace I got a job within a month of finishing my masters, even before graduation. I’m worried for a few reasons. First, I’m scared my family will find out and punish me badly. Second, my mum is looking to get me married and I usually avoid the marriage scene because of odd characters, but someone in a group chat seemed genuinely nice. At 5’9 I didn’t expect to meet someone over 6’ who also has good character, faith and education. The problem: he asked for a phone call and clearly assumes I’m a hijabi. I don’t want to lose him but I don’t want to lie. I’ve considered putting my hijab back on, but I feel embarrassed about what my colleagues will think, and I believe hijab should be for Allah’s sake. I’m torn. I’m thinking maybe I’ll keep it on after marriage, but I already told him where I work and if he checks, he could notice I’ve been dressing differently and feel deceived. This whole situation stresses me out. As for the family comments that pushed me, they say I look older because I’m tall - I’m 26 and they keep saying I look much older, while my sisters are petite at 5’4. No one calls me fat - I’m 60kg - but they compare me to a cousin who is tiny and was married earlier. I had some hair loss during my studies and felt awful, so I took off my hijab one day and enjoyed the attention from classmates, but that decision felt hasty in hindsight. My family keeps saying we should have married me earlier, and their comparisons make me feel ugly. I’m exhausted. Without the hijab I don’t feel so unattractive, but wearing it has sometimes made me doubt myself. I need guidance: should I try to be honest with this potential match, put the hijab back on for now, or find another way to handle my family and my own feelings? JazakAllahu khair for any advice.