WhatsApp Backup Issue - Lost in a Password Paradox

In WhatsApp, I put a simple message as the end-to-end encryption password, but I can't recall when I did it. I bought a new phone, and when I attempted to transfer my conversations, the "Restore" option requested a password. When I typed one of the available selections, I received an erroneous password alert, and choosing "Forgot My Password" resulted in a robotic response, "Settings/Chats/Chat Backup...", etc. To accomplish this, I need access to my account. It is a complete paradox! Now I had two options: skip the backup phase and lose my 12-year backup, or attempt different passwords. Then I encountered longer delay periods, up to 24 hours, and, eventually, transaction failures. It's as if WhatsApp is determined to take away my backups. I've been dealing with this for four days and haven't found a solution, and all of my work-related contact has been affected. In my study, I discovered that many others have found this dilemma as well. Note: There is also the ability to copy from phone to phone, however this requires Wi-Fi. And the reason I changed phones was because of a Wi-Fi problem on my previous phone! Regards...