I boarded a plane at 19 with one suitcase — and a marriage contract waiting for me back at home. Courtesy of Sona JepsenMy parents supported me going to the U.S. because my husband-to-be was headed to Harvard Business School. Courtesy of Sona JepsenBack in Claremont, I was renting a room from an American couple who fought loudly every night as their marriage dissolved. AdvertisementHe knew about the arranged marriage, but he was blissfully naïve about what it meant. My parents died within months of each other, and with them went the fragile bridge we had begun to rebuild.

Source: Huffington Post January 20, 2026 14:18 UTC