One evening, after my husband left in a hurry once again, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and was fed up. I needed to know what was going on! I grabbed my coat and tracked him down, following him to his destination.

My heart pounded as I trailed his car through the winding streets. He finally came to a halt when he parked in front of an old, run-down building on the edge of town.

I even doubted whether it was safe to go in or not and hesitated for a moment before summoning the courage to enter. But what I witnessed inside left me SPEECHLESS!

I saw him with a bunch of people, doing something I couldn’t even comprehend as I stood there with my mouth open. James, my stoic, seemingly indifferent husband, was there in an APRON! MY man was serving food to a group of homeless people!

He was smiling, chatting, and laughing, a side of him I had NEVER seen before! It was like watching a stranger, but one who looked so much like the man I married! As if sensing my presence, James looked up, and our eyes met.

A happy and smiling man dressed in an apron | Source: Pexels
He froze, his face a mask of fear and surprise. My husband then quickly made his way over to me, taking off his apron as he walked. “Lily, I can explain,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “Please do,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

“What is all this? Why didn’t you tell me?” James took a deep breath, leading me to a quieter corner. “This is my project, the one I live for.” I watched him, waiting for the revelation that was about to change everything I thought I knew about my husband.

“I was born in poverty,” he began. “Sometimes, my family had nothing to eat. My single mom couldn’t feed me and my brother, so she gave us up for adoption,” James said. “We were taken in by a wealthy family who gave us everything we needed.”

I couldn’t believe that I’d never known this about him. “But there was a catch. My new dad was strict; he believed in toughness and never showing vulnerability,” my husband continued. “I had to bury my soft side deep inside just to survive in that house because my adopted father forbade me from showing it.”

A couple having a difficult conversation while holding hands | Source: Freepik

“He’s the one who taught me to be tough and determined, hence my work ethic.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I listened. This was a side of James I never knew, a past he had never shared. “So, you started this to show your true self?” I asked, my voice breaking.

“Yes,” he said, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and relief. “When I became successful, I realized I needed to find a way to express my soft side somewhere. I wanted to give back somehow.”

“I wanted to help people who are in the same position I once was.”

“So, I started this shelter, this kitchen, as my way of giving back and being true to who I am. It’s a part of me I’ve hidden for so long.” He explained how he started feeding poor and homeless people and sheltering them too.

His story hit me hard, the weight of his hidden life pressing down on me. I understood