I Used to Be Teased by Everyone, but Now I'm a Legendary Plus-Size Model – Story of the Day

A young schoolgirl is teased by her colleagues for her weight, but years later, they are stunned when she becomes a famous plus-size model.

Jennifer Tyrell was the prettiest little girl. Her mother was very proud of her delicate features and her big green eyes. Then as Jenny, as her parents called her, grew older, she started to put on weight a little at a time.

Jenny's mother was upset and consulted her pediatrician, but since the little girl didn't overeat and had a healthy lifestyle, he advised her to be patient. It was puppy fat, and she'd grow out of it. But Jenny didn't...

At 16, Jenny was plus-sized, and she was teased mercilessly by her schoolmates. One day, Jenny arrived home in tears and confided in her mother: "Mom, they are always picking on me because of my weight!"

But Jenny's mother wasn't sympathetic. "Well, can you blame them? Look at yourself! And you used to be so pretty..."

Jenny was devastated by the second blow and ran upstairs sobbing. Her father called out after her: "You can afford to miss a meal or two!"

One afternoon, Jenny was having coffee on her own when a tall handsome man approached her.

Still, Jenny was bright, and she had been accepted into some good colleges. Maybe things would be different then. Meanwhile, Jenny still had to face the ordeal of the senior prom.

Jenny went shopping with her mom for her prom dress, and it was pure torture. Jenny saw a beautiful strapless gown, but her mom admonished her: "Honestly, Jenny, with your figure, you want to cover it all up as much as possible!"

So Jenny chose a dress that "covered up" all her 'unsightly fat' and went to the prom on her own, along with the senior class' handful of ugly ducklings. She was sitting quietly, watching the fun, when a handsome young man approached her.

"Hi!" he smiled, "I saw you sitting here. You have the prettiest face! Would you like to dance?"

Jenny got up, her heart beating fast. Someone thought she was pretty! But she was in for a sad disappointment. As soon as they got to the middle of the dance floor, the boy started laughing. "Did you really think I'd dance with someone like you? Get a life!"

Two months later, Jenny left for college. She was going to Sarah Lawrence to study art and design. Maybe there, things would be different. Unfortunately, college life turned out to be more of the same, and Jenny was lonelier than ever.

One afternoon, Jenny was having coffee on her own when a tall, handsome man approached her. "You are so beautiful," he said, "You should be a model."

Jenny was instantly upset. "Don't you have better things to do than to play silly tricks on people?" she asked.

The man looked at her, and then he said: "Do you know what you need to be one of the top models in this country?"

Jenny snapped: "To lose 100 pounds?"

The man smiled and shook his head. "No. To love yourself." he handed her a business card. "I'm a modeling agent. Give me a call when you're ready to be a star."

Jenny sat there with her mouth hanging open. When she got back to her dorm room, she googled the man, Aurelio Divo. Aurelio was a former Italian top model, and he specialized in plus-sized models.

That weekend, Jenny went home and shared the exciting news with her parents. "Mom, dad, this agent thinks I could make it big as a model in New York!"

Jenny's mom burst out laughing: "You were scammed, baby girl! You? A model?" and she couldn't stop laughing. Jenny's father told her to screw her head on straight and concentrate on her studies. She wouldn't get a husband...

Jenny was on the verge of giving up the whole idea when she remembered Aurelio's voice telling her she needed to love herself. Three days later, she was on her way to New York for her first casting.

Ten years later, Mr. and Mrs. Tyrell were watching the top talk show when the hostess announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the world's top plus-size model and designer, Jenny T!"

To their astonishment, a stunningly beautiful full-bodied woman walked in. She was dressed fashionably, in a dress that showed off every curve of her body, and she glowed with confidence.

The hostess said: "Jenny T, you are a successful businesswoman with a multi-million dollar plus-size fashion range and an amazing modeling career. You've just been cast as the first-ever plus-sized Bond girl. But it wasn't all roses, was it?"

Jenny T smiled. "No, I'm afraid not. There were times I cried myself to sleep, and I wanted to give up..."

"So who was there for you? Who supported you and encouraged you to follow your dream? Your parents?"

Jenny T smiled sadly. "I'm an orphan, and my biggest support, the person who taught me to love myself was my agent, Aurelio Divo, who is now my husband and the father of my two children."

Mrs. Tyrell was crying. "An orphan? But what about us?"

Mr. Tyrell said sadly. "She's right, Hannah. We never encouraged her or supported her. She owes us nothing." Mrs. Tyrell was devastated and wished she'd been a better mom. Now she wouldn't even get to meet her grandchildren.

What can we learn from Jenny's story?

1. Believe in yourself. If you love yourself and believe in your talent, there is nothing in the world you can't do.

2. Accept people for who they are. Jenny's parents were blinded by their expectations and couldn't see how amazing and beautiful she was.

3. Never give up on your dreams. Despite her family's disapproval, Jenny didn't give up on her dream of becoming a model and achieved great success.

Share this story with your friends. It might inspire people to share their own stories or to help someone else.

Any resemblance in this story to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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