Natasha Abbas is a British civil engineer who co-founded North 51, a project management consultancy in Dubai
The family of a woman, who married a man 30 years her senior, has accused her of tying the knot with the man so that he could be a replacement for her father.
Renee Chicoye, 29, and Alberto Santiago, 59, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, got acquainted to each other during a movie night organised by their local church in 2019 following which they starting dating, according to a report in Mail Online.
Recalling their first meeting Renee said, “In the movie our arms touched, I got nervous and my heart started beating fast. I noticed he didn't move away so I didn't either. The next day I met with my girlfriends and told them how I sat next to the guy with the cool salt and peppered coloured hair and nice smile. One of them told me to go for it and I didn't hesitate."
The couple got along so well that they decided to exchange vows in less than a year after their first date. However, after they tied the knot, the duo faced severe backlash from family members.
During a family holiday, a member of Renee’s family asked Alberto why he had started a relationship with a woman half his age. While another member questioned Renee on her choice and even told her ‘why she was looking for another dad when she already had one’.
Though it was a tough beginning, over time, the family began to accept the couple and have turned into their biggest supporters now.
Alberto’s daughter Isabella, who is just 10 years younger than Renee, is now trying to reconcile with the fact that her dad is married to someone nearly her age. But for Renee, who already has a three-year-old son from a previous relationship, having someone at home has been a boon. “Going from being a single mom at 25, to having someone around who had parental knowledge to help when my son cries in order to give me a break has been a huge benefit," she said.
For Renee and Alberto, love doesn't seem to have any boundaries despite their age differences. “We're not breaking any laws, and for those who may be critical of age gap relationships, I would like to send a message of hope that maybe one day they can see past their judgments,” Renee told Mail Online.
Natasha Abbas is a British civil engineer who co-founded North 51, a project management consultancy in Dubai
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