When Alexis’ parents forced her to marry Robert, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Later, Alexis broke the one rule her husband gave her and entered the room he warned her about, unleashing secrets she wasn’t prepared for.
I couldn’t understand why my parents wanted me to get married before I found someone myself.
“Alexis,” my mother said, “Robert is a catch. He’s a wealthy man who will take care of you. You wouldn’t even have to work.”
I couldn’t refuse. My father had made it clear.
“You marry Robert, Alexis,” he said, puffing on his cigar. “Or you can figure out your own living arrangements.”
In a sense, Robert was my prince charming. Our family had a bakery, which was losing customers because we had no gluten-free options on the menu.
“We will continue to bake what we know,” my father insisted.
Our marriage was definitely an arranged one. Robert’s demeanor was cold, and he refused to let me get to know him properly. I don’t know how my father arranged our connection.
Our wedding was a spectacle of Robert’s affluence, nothing short of extravagant. Robert’s wedding planner had thought of everything.
My wedding dress was a custom piece that he commissioned for me. But even through our wedding planning, we barely spoke.
“I’m looking forward to being married,” he admitted one evening, a few days before the wedding.
“But I don’t know what I’m doing,” he added.
That was the closest Robert had gotten to letting me in.
Two days after our wedding, I moved into our new home.
“Come, I’ll show you around,” Robert said.
He took me around our home, a mansion boasting luxuries I’d never imagined before: sprawling golf courses, a shimmering swimming pool, and a fleet of staff at our beck and call.
“It’s beautiful,” I said when we got to the kitchen. “Everything is beautiful.”
“Now, Alexis, this house belongs to you too,” he declared with a hint of pride.
I smiled at the stranger standing in front of me. Maybe we were going to make something of our marriage.
“But one thing, Alexis,” he said. “There’s one rule. The attic. Never go in there.”
I nodded at Robert. I couldn’t fathom why I wouldn’t be allowed anywhere in the house. But I also recognized that I didn’t know my husband well enough yet. So, I had to obey.
A few days later, Robert went to a meeting, leaving me alone in our massive home.
Driven by curiosity stronger than any warning, I found myself ascending the stairs to the attic. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and excitement. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time.
A quick in and out, I thought to myself.
Pushing the door open, I was met with a sight that sent me to my knees, tears streaming down my face. I didn’t know why I was crying. I didn’t know why I felt confusion and relief at the same time.
The attic, dimly lit, seemed to be a vault of my husband’s hidden memories. Childhood toys lay scattered, each carrying untold stories. Old postcards and photographs of Robert’s life before me. Among the relics were letters from a young boy to his father, a soldier away at war.
“How dare you come in here? Now, I have to change the locks in my own home because my wife does not respect my requests?”
Robert’s face turned red with rage.
“I just want to understand,” I stammered. “I just want to know you, Robert.”
Slowly, his rage dissolved, and he seemed to see me as a companion in his world, instead of the intruder he had made me out to be.
“Alexis,” he said, “Come, let’s sit.”
Robert led me to the living room.
“My father was a stern man. He was a soldier and he believed in keeping emotions locked away. These are the only things I have of a time when I felt loved,” he confessed.
My heart caught on his every word as his voice broke.
What followed was a revelation of his soul. Stories of a lonely childhood, of a boy yearning for his father’s approval, unfolded in our home.
In those vulnerable moments, I didn’t see the distant, cold man I had married but a boy who had never stopped seeking love and acceptance. He just didn’t know how to go about it.
In those few hours, things changed. Robert started letting me in. And now, years later, our home is filled with the cries and laughter of our daughter, April.
Through our daughter, Robert healed. He healed for himself, and for our daughter.
We’ve packed away everything from the attic, so it is no longer a shrine to Robert’s past but is now my little reading nook.
A Boy Who Once Was The World’s Heaviest Kid Proves That There Is No Goal That Cannot Be Reached
Arya Permana, an Indonesian teenager who once weighed 421 lb (191 kg), was so big that he had to take showers outside in a specially constructed pool. Although he has been labeled the “world’s fattest kid,” he proves that hard work and setting goals always pay off. Let’s learn more about Arya’s story.
The boy was dubbed “the world’s fattest child.”
Arya Permana is 15 years old and used to eat 5 meals daily, including rice, fish, meat, vegetable soup, and a traditional soy patty. It was enough food to serve 2 adult people, on average. The little kid had to stop attending school since he’d quickly run out of breath while walking. Because his parents could no longer find clothes that fit him, Arya had been wearing nothing more than a sarong for a long time.
But eventually, he decided to make a change.
Arya Permana changed into a much slimmer version of himself from a boy weighing 421 lb (191 kg). The Indonesian student has lost a significant amount of weight at just 183 lb (83 kg), and he’s even been motivating others to adopt healthier lifestyles. Ade Rai, his trainer, assisted him in learning about physical activity and a balanced diet.
Arya is now a symbol of hope.
His trainer said that Arya initially weighed 187 lb (85 kg) before his appetite drastically grew. Now he is slimming down without losing his spirit. Notably, among adults, this is a rare quality. He’s become a symbol of hope, and now people say things like, “Even Arya can lose weight, so why can’t I?” The kid combines a strict training schedule with a nutritious diet and medical care. Ade Somantri, Aria’s father, claimed that his son’s weight loss was made possible by medical care, a strict exercise routine, and a diet.
Arya used not to be able to stand for more than a few minutes at a time. He can now play football and other sports with his pals and walk to school after undergoing a major operation to reduce the amount he eats. And we are so happy for him!
What are your goals that you’re determined to achieve no matter what? Do you have an inspiring story you want to share? We can’t wait to hear it!
Preview photo credit AFP/EAST NEWS, Future Publishing / Future Publishing / Getty Images
Leave a Reply