Some dark histories are better left buried. These Reddit tales show how a short conversation with mom or dad can turn your entire life upside down. From secret siblings to hidden family fortunes, some of these stories are downright tearjerkers. Be warned: after reading this, you may want to tell your parents to keep their secrets to themselves.
1. Try The Gentle Cycle Next Time
When I was eight, I got a chubby, fluffy gray cat called Toes because of her white paws. She was so adorable. Once, I went away to see my grandparents for a couple of days. When I got back, I found out Toes got hit by a car, or so I thought. We got another cat, and that's how life rolled.
Fast forward to when I'm about 21, I get a call from my mom. She sounded upset. That's when she finally decided to reveal the truth about Toes. Apparently, she didn't get hit by a car. Nope. She just curled up in the dryer for a nap, and mom unknowingly threw in a blanket she'd washed. She found Toes when she went to get her laundry. Now that thought will give me nightmares. Forever.
2. Landlord Disappeared
My grandma and great-grandma on my dad's side helped us move from a crummy rental to a nice suburban house. They even got my dad into night school to learn to be an electrician, away from his golf course jobs.
My mom used to work retail when my siblings and I were little. Living in this dilapidated rental was tough, and our landlord was a nightmare. My grandma saw this and wanted us to have a better life, including owning a house.
As an adult, my mom shared that we were seriously behind on rent before the move. They worried how they'd pay off that debt along with the new house payments. Then unexpectedly, our landlord disappeared. No calls, no visits, nada.
My parents shrugged it off and soon forgot about the debt. The real reason was horrific. As it turns out, our landlord had died by falling into a well. His next of kin couldn't find the rental agreement, so there was no way to recover the overdue rent.
3. He Liked To Watch
My mom recently spilled the beans, saying she was already three months pregnant when they tied the knot. Their marriage lasted 45 years, but if it weren't for my mom's pregnancy, they might have bailed on it. Thirteen years in, mom almost ditched dad until my brother's impending arrival changed her mind. But that's not even the mind-blowing part of the story.
I later discovered my mom had an affair with our babysitter...and my dad knew and just watched the whole time.
4. Numbers Added Up
Mom dropped a bomb on me when I was 24 and it's an extremely bizarre story. Apparently I gave her winning lottery numbers in a dream when I was just a tot. She wakes up, buys those tickets and cashes out $20 million big ones.
And the crazy part? She didn't tell me about it for years, nor did she save any of it away for me - for college, a car, nada. Just spilled it one day when I was 24 as if I knew all along. Mind. Blown.
5. Serious PTSD
My dad was always a bit weird around toy guns. He seemed scared of them. I didn't find out why until I was 18; Mom finally spilled the beans. When he was 15, there was a horrible incident involving his buddy. The friends were all chilling at one friend’s house. Everything was cool—until suddenly it wasn’t.
The host kid went upstairs, back with his dad's real pistol, and all eyes were on him. He put the gun to his head, pulled the trigger, and slumped behind the sofa. At first, everyone thought it was a sick prank, but the sight behind the couch told a different story.
It blows my mind how well-balanced my dad turned out, despite going through something so tragic, so young. He says it still haunts him. He even has nightmares about it and struggles to watch anyone get shot in the head on TV or in movies.
6. A Stranger In The House
Still in the dark here, but back in my college days when my parents split, my dad told me I HAD to do something for him if he kicked the bucket. He showed me where stuff was, and even got me to the bank to sign some papers so I could access his account when he's gone. As we left the bank, he hit me with this heavy line that I'll never shake off:
"Your mom's not the woman you think she is. All the details are in my safe deposit box". Got no idea what he meant – he didn't give more – and mom just chuckled when I shared it with her. So, guess I'll only know when the time comes.
7. She’s Not My Daughter
When I was 24, my dad and I were sorting some legal stuff and he said something extremely weird, warning me about a possible false daughter claim after he's gone. I had no clue what he was talking about, so I just let it slide.
Fast forward and this supposed sister ends up tracking me down on Facebook. You know how you think all those friend requests are just spam? Well, my mom confirmed, it was her. So, we exchanged a few messages back and forth but to tell you the truth, I was a bit dubious.
When I told Dad about it, he flipped.
Here's the backstory. Dad bailed on his chaotic, broke Florida family and started grinding in Texas. Doesn't matter how he met this woman - but there was a wedding and boom. They're shacked up together.
Next thing you know, mystery sister is born and Dad thought it was great. There were these old snapshots of them and he looked thrilled. Then "something" went down. Basically, from what I can glean, his wife whittled away his paycheck and racked up a ton of debts. Queen of overspending.
When Dad complained to her, her family went all crazy on him; showing up at work causing a scene, vandalizing his car, etc. The funny thing was, all this drama is happening and their little girl is just turning three, whereas before life had been pretty decent.
Plot twist – she's the one who files for divorce. They clobbered him with all sorts of made-up stuff in court. The guy had no backup and no funds, yet still fought back. But then, they pulled their dirtiest trick of all. They claimed she'd been cheating on him and the kid wasn't his.
Dad fell for it hook, line, and sinker. No test was ever done but he signed away his parental rights and wasn't asked to pay child support. And that was supposed to be the last we'd hear of her, but of course, it wasn't.
My mom claimed she'd turn up randomly, attempting to chat with Dad. She showed up even on my 9th birthday. I don't recall her, but the fact that she couldn't have been older than 12 at the time seems a bit off. Someone else must have driven her down here.
We're still FB friends and we know we might share a dad. A DNA test could sort this out but we couldn't upset Dad with that. He's clearly still haunted by those dark memories.
Her life's good now, though - she's got kids of her own and a supportive family. Apparently, her mom remarried but she isn't around anymore. But she doesn't stay in touch with any of her biological family, which could be why she wants to meet my father. He might just be her real dad.
8. Quick Clean To Save Feelings
Back when I was little, my dad made a pen for our bunnies, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and hamsters. One day, I noticed the pen had moved and the pets had vanished. I figured they dug beneath the gate and escaped. That's what I thought for over a decade—until my mom finally told me the disturbing story.
Apparently, some messed-up teens let their dog into our pen and it ended up slaughtering our pets. My parents had to quickly clean up the horrible mess before we got up that morning. That's partly why we moved, apparently. I kinda wish I never found out about this.
9. And They Did Not Live Happily Ever After
Growing up, there was this story about a local prince who wanted to marry me and was ready to pay in cows for my hand. After dad passed, I went back to our homeland and met a bunch of my cousins for the first time. Turned out, the "prince" was actually the president's son, and he wasn't really asking, he was insisting.
Seems like we had to secretly leave the country because, once I hit adulthood, this guy was set on making me his bride. And this was when I was just a kid. Later, mom explained the whole scene. Dad's company had to sneak us out of the country. Man, my life was like an adventure movie when I was six.
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10. A Pay It Forward Secret
My grandparents moved us around a lot before settling in Hawaii; we lived everywhere from the US mainland, to Europe, to Africa. Once, when we visited my grandpa's house, a man I'd never seen before was there. He seemed like a friend from my grandparents' college days overseas.
After dinner, this guy pulls us grandkids aside and starts bawling. He's ranting about how awesome my grandpa is. Turns out, Grandpa taught English to kids in Nigeria during his travels. The village gave him a local helper to do chores like laundry and snake defense (my dad was really young at the time).
This helper man had many kids of his own. Now here's the wild part: My skinny, mild-mannered grandpa had been secretly sending the guy money for over 40 years. His kids used that money for school and college. The mysterious guest? The helper's eldest son, now a successful doctor with his own family. I couldn't believe it, Grandpa had kept his generosity a total secret. What a humble man.
11. Father Drains Account
Back in the day, my dad would always grab our Christmas and birthday gifting cash—mine and my brother's too—for what he dubbed our "college fund". This fund was off limits till we hit 18. But plot twist, right before my big brother's 18th birthday party, our dad totally emptied the account and bought a shiny new ride—for his own use. He just blurted out that's what he had planned all along, and if we had plans to put ourselves through college, we better hustle and get jobs. I was so shocked, I couldn't speak.
Quick word of advice here—please don't do this to your kids. Likely, it'll feed into trust issues, not that I would know. Can't exactly splurge on therapy when I'm paying for college.
12. Homewrecker Revealed
My grandparents split just before I came into the world. A couple of years later, Grandpa married Patty. By the time I came around, my biological grandma was gone, so Patty was my de facto grandma. Patty, well, she's a bit out there. She gets a bit invasive with her questions, but she means no harm.
The thing is, my mom and her siblings, they couldn't stand Patty. Growing up, it was just whispers and snide remarks behind closed doors. As I got older, that disdain was more open, more obvious. Patty's odd, sure, but isn't everyone?
When Grandpa died in my early adulthood, the resentment bubbled up again. Looking at some old snaps of grandad, a pic of Patty had my mom making a rude comment. I had to ask, "Why the hate?" The look of shock on Mom's face, then the lightbulb moment - they'd never told me.
Turns out Grandpa cheated on Grandma with Patty for over a decade before the divorce. The disdain wasn't because Patty's a goof, it was because they perceived her as a homewrecker.
It seemed a bit lopsided to me, blaming it all on Patty while Grandpa was just as guilty. But hey, people cope as they do. Grandpa's funeral, as sad as it was, actually helped ease the bitterness. After, everyone began treating Patty with more kindness and civility.
13. Best. Dad. Ever.
When I was a kid, my dad got me this doll. I loved it to bits and still have it to this day. I’m 28 now, just to put things in perspective. But the other day, my mother blew my mind with a secret.
Would you believe it, when I first got that doll, my dad had actually brought in three identical backups. The man was playing some high-level parenting here. Whenever my doll ended up a little worse for wear, he’d sneak in a new one. This happened thrice, and I was completely clueless. Props to the old man for pulling it off this smoothly.
The big reveal? It was supposed to be a surprise on my wedding day. He had plans to hand me back the old dolls too. Unfortunately, he left us before he could spill the beans. That's life, I guess.
14. Babysitting Boss
My mom often speaks without a filter, spilling secrets she's forgotten she shared with me. When I was a kid, her boss played babysitter, letting me hang out at his workplace instead of daycare. He'd play Horton Hears A Who on VHS while I explored his cool rock collection. We considered him family, so it hit hard when he passed away from an illness after we moved.
Later on, something brought him to mind and I brought it up to my mom. She casually mentioned, "Yeah, it's wild that he took his own life, though". I told her she was mistaken - he was sick, right? Then, she dropped the truth bomb. They had covered up his suicide, telling me he had been ill instead. It broke my heart to learn that a man who brought so much happiness to me was secretly battling such intense personal demons.
15. Game Console Bubble Burst
My parents were still in high school when I came into the picture, but they'd split up before I was born. Dad took off to California for his career with the Marines and education, while I stayed in the South with Mom.
Grandma - Dad's mom - was the one who stepped up when Dad wasn't around, helping Mom in raising me. So even if I didn't have a typical dad, I had a super involved grandma.
I only caught a glimpse of Dad once every couple of years. As a kid, I idolized him, even though our interactions were as rare as finding a unicorn. The only sure bet of hearing from him was when a new gaming console hit the market.
I've been a massive gamer my entire life. So, Dad would always snag the newest gaming gizmo and ship it my way - a tradition dating back to the days of Pokémon Gold on Gameboy Color, up to the PS4 Pro. Just recently, he was raving about getting me the latest Xbox.
When my grandma died last month, I found myself in touch with my dad more frequently. He mentioned having a tough time snagging that new Xbox, but promised it was on its way after things cooled down. I relayed this to Mom casually, which made her spill a gut-wrenching truth.
She admitted that it was my grandma who'd been footing the bill for all those gaming goods, and Dad was just taking all the credit.
16. A Secret To Protect
When I was a kid, I was friends with our 20-ish neighbor, who I'll call Anne. She'd read to me, play alongside, or take me for strolls. One morning, her dad handed me a painting she'd done - my parents said Anne had moved for a job and left the painting as a keepsake.
Later, we moved cities, only to return after my dad died. To my surprise, Anne's dad and sister were still around. They revealed the shocking truth about Anne - she hadn't relocated for work but had actually died in a car crash back in the day. They lied to spare my feelings.
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17. Heroes Aren’t Perfect
When I was a teen, I got my driver's and motorcycle permit. My mom promised me a free ride home, anytime, anywhere, no questions asked. Well, one day, she calls me after having too much to drink with friends – she figured if I got a free ride, she should too.
So, I took a bus to where she was to drive us back in her car. On the way home, after talking about her night, she said something that will haunt me forever: "Alice, you were my biggest mistake. I thought having a kid could save my marriage, but I wish I'd just focused on my happiness," she confessed. Then she drifted off to sleep. I was hurt but managed to get us home and tucked her into bed.
That night, I stayed up with a pack of razors, thinking about her words. I decided if I did something rash, it would only invalidate her sacrifice. In the morning, I simply told her that I'd driven her home from the restaurant. She thanked me and called me the best kid ever.
A month later, I asked her about any regrets about having kids. She said her kids were her world's light. Then I understood – society often chooses ignorance over confronting difficult conversations or emotions. It's more comfortable to pretend everything is fine than face the truth.
Growing up, parents seem like superheroes and my mom was no different, even going through the 2008 crisis single-handedly. But that experience taught me that even superheroes are not infallible.
18. Dissing Kathy
As kids, my brother and I adored Kathy. She was this cool lady who'd get us computer games. However, mum despised her but we never knew why. On turning 18, mum spilled the beans: Kathy was my dad's mistress. Weirdly, Kathy married dad's best friend, but that's a whole 'nother story.
My attitude towards her changed post revelation. I wasn't nearly so nice to her, and dad wasn't pleased. But when I confessed to dad that I knew about his affair with Kathy, he backed off. "Oh, alright then," was all he said and never brought it up again.
19. DNA Test Reveals Secret
My sister decided to take a DNA test for fun. She got her results and surprise, surprise, no Italian in her lineage—even though our dad is fully Italian. She didn't tell our parents yet, wanted me to take the test too, just to see mine.
Fast forward four weeks, I got my results. Bingo. No Italiano here either. Turns out, my father...is not my father. My parents spilled the beans after my sister dropped the DNA test news. I've lived 38 years none the wiser. What knocked us off our feet?
Turns out, mom and dad had trouble having kids and used a sperm bank. Honestly, I'm not even sure they were planning on dropping that bombshell ever.
20. Secret Saint
Grandpa owned a small business and due to his humble upbringing, people assumed he was quite stingy. Turns out though, he'd been doling out cash to charities and helping out his workers with money and even legal issues. It was a good secret, but a secret nonetheless.
21. Visit Cut Short
When I was seven, my dad was working abroad so my eight-year-old brother and I went to visit him. We only stayed a few days and were then brought home by family, without any explanation.
Soon after coming home, my mom and a school lady explained that our dad was gone. They said it was health related, but I discovered the real story years later.
When I was in my early 20s, my half-brother popped back into my life after a long time. He revealed that our dad was shot while working. My mom was pretty furious at my half-brother for telling me the truth about how our dad died, but I was grateful.
22. I’ll Take Cherished Moments For 200
Back in the day, my parents and sister would group up every evening and we'd have awesome boys vs. girls Jeopardy game nights, right along with the TV show. Those times were the bomb. Dad and I always came out on top, though we let Mom and sisterscore a victory sometimes. Lots of laughs, teasing, sometimes a little frustration, but we created some amazing childhood memories.
Years later, I discovered that my parents were indulging in some herbal refreshments before each show, every single night, for years on end. Honestly, I think they were having an even wilder time than I was.
23. Two Massive Shocks
When I was about 14, my dad told us we had an older half-sister. I thought he was messing around, but turns out, before my mom, he had a different girlfriend. When they broke up, she vanished and cut off any contact. Unknown to my dad, she was pregnant with his kid then.
So, it's not like my dad was hiding this; he found out the same time we did. His daughter got in touch with him on Facebook, announcing she was his kid. This blew his mind, and another surprise was waiting - he also had a two-year-old grandkid from her.
24. Waiting For The Big Reveal
I found out that my mom has this secret I feel she should've told me when I became an adult - but that chat hasn't happened yet. Way back, I discovered she had a different family before us. Looks like she pretty much left them high and dry. As far as I can tell, they were blindsided. At some point after, she met my old man and kicked off a new family.
Considering state laws, I'm guessing she must've gotten a divorce before marrying my dad, but who knows? I've definitely got some questions about all this, but since she's never brought it up, I just let it slide. We're super tight, so I'm holding out hope that she'll open up about it one day. Until then, I know what I know.
25. Burial Goes Awry
When I was a kid, a family member had a horse and I thought it was mine. One day it died and was buried, but I wasn't told the full story until later. Turns out, when digging the grave, they didn't make it deep enough and only realized it when the horse's four legs were jutting out. The way they solved it was really horrifying.
They had to cut off the horse's legs with a chainsaw.
26. Class Trips Cancelled
My mom, who was a teacher, shuffled my sister and me over to the school where she worked. Why? Couldn't tell you. The other teachers there were always so grouchy with us but the reason was a mystery. Felt kind of off, honestly. It took a few years before my dad finally spilled the beans about why we were so unpopular at school.
Turns out my mom was pocketing all the cash meant for school trips. Apparently, it caused a huge upset among the teachers, but we were completely in the dark. Suddenly, the worst years of my life made sense.
27. Secret Life
After my dad passed, my mom spilled a bunch of family secrets. She told me that back when they were dating, my pops enjoyed smoking pot. This was shocking because he was a super strict guy. He even grew some plants at my mom's parents' place without them knowing - but, hold up, that's just the beginning.
Turns out, when they were engaged, my dad cheated. In response, my mom literally beat up the other woman and dumped my dad. He spent months showing up at my grandparents' place every night, pleading for her to take him back. Ultimately, she did.
28. Wonderful Secret Revealed
I recently found out that I have a 20-year-old son, something that neither of us knew until just last December when his mom let the secret slip out. It's a weird feeling, having lived two decades completely unaware that I had such an amazing kid.
Now that we've had six months to get acquainted, I've realized that he's hands down the best thing that's happened to me. He's a bright young man serving in the military and in this short amount of time, we've developed such a comfortable, solid bond.
None of this would've happened if he hadn't prodded his mom enough to spill the beans about his real dad. These days, I'm just filled with joy that can't be put into words most of the time. It's an ineffable sense of happiness that I'm feeling.
29. Missing In Action
After my dad passed, my aunt dropped this bombshell on me during Christmas. Apparently, my dad had vanished for two years when he was just 20. No one had a clue where he'd gone. One day, he just rolled back in, looking all bearded 'Jesus-like', but never spoke a word about where he'd been or what went down.
Life went on, and no one ever talked about his vanishing act again, so I never got to ask him. I think about it all the time.
30. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
The secret my parents kept hidden is that I actually have an older half-sister. Long story, my dad got some gal pregnant back in high school. Her parents weren't fans of him and figured they were too young to handle a baby, so they skipped town. Dad knew about her, but never really tried to find her and just went on with his life.
Fast forward to when I was in college, my half-sister reached out to my dad and they reconnected. But nobody clued me in until I came back home for Thanksgiving break. There she was, this unfamiliar lady sitting at our table and my dad casually goes, "Introduce yourself to your sister".
31. The World Had Different Plans
My mom passed when I was born, and I just learned another crazy thing about that day. Turns out, I had a twin sister who didn't survive either. Guess I hogged all the good genes. I'd love to have a mom and a twin, but life had other ideas.
32. Straight Laced Dad Was Not
On my 18th birthday, my dad revealed his secret past as a smuggler for nearly a decade. He told me the routine - they'd source coke and weed from South America, fly it to the Caribbean via small planes, then race to Florida on speedboats under the cover of darkness. But he held back on the wild tales, sharing only a few.
One involved being holed up in a Colombian bar all day during a coup attempt. Another time they bartered munitions they got from FARC for more product. This blew my mind because my dad seemed like the most rule-abiding guy on the planet.
33. Personality Lost
When I was just two, I broke my femur. I've always known about it but something I found out later totally blew my mind. When I was around 16 or 17, my parents let me in on how that injury sort of switched up my personality. Apparently, I used to be a real chatterbox and super outgoing. But after dealing with doc and nurses for ages, I went into my shell. And that's been my vibe since.
I always figured I was just a born introvert, but turns out, I wasn't always like that. These past few years, I've been pushing myself to be more sociable. But it's wild to imagine I could've had a totally different vibe.
34. Blackouts Explained
My mom confessed she'd tried to lose me when she was pregnant to avoid abortion. Now, she's jealous of me because I'm living her dream life. I'm educated, no kids, working the 9-5 grind right up to the top. She's often shooting digs at me in sly, indirect ways.
Lucky for me, her partying antics while expecting hasn't caused any ongoing probs, except maybe my tendency to black out super fast whenever I'm drinking.
35. Lie Was Not A Lie
When I was little, my dad accidentally hit a raccoon with his car. The raccoon had a baby that survived, so we took it in. We loved that little raccoon, but man, were we not ready for it. No lock or crate could hold that critter. It was smart, strong, and way too curious for its own good. It would raid our cupboards for food and left droppings everywhere.
Eventually, my dad had to tell me the raccoon had "gone to live on a farm," and boy, did that break my heart. But get this, I found out a few years back while reminiscing with my hubby, that my dad wasn't kidding. He had given it to a coworker who actually had a farm and loads of trees.
Turns out, the raccoon got so comfortable around humans it kept breaking into the man's house, ate his food, and became a big, fat, happy raccoon. It lived out its days being the king of badgers it was always meant to be.
36. Don’t Count On It
My ex's parents were classic narcissists - the more they bragged about something, the more likely it was a tall tale. When the eldest was gearing up for college, he asked about these mythical college funds they kept mentioning. Their answer? A snippy "stop worrying about money. You're only 17, what do you know?"
Fast forward a few years and the dad confesses, after one too many drinks, the real story. Turns out, grandma gave them 50 bucks once, hinting they should start a savings account for their kids' college fees. But, being the narcissists they are, they blew this little act way out of proportion, leading their kids to believe they were set for a free ride from 18.
37. Half Brother Visits
When I was 13, my parents had to let me in on a secret. Guess what? I had a half-brother they'd adopted as a baby, who I met for the first time as a teen. And the twist? They had to spill this bombshell because things had gone from bad to worse.
Turns out, he was a cop and had shown up to arrest my dad. We lost touch, and honestly, I can't blame him.
38. Bottomless Jar
Back in the day, my siblings and I used to sneak some change from our dad's jar, just a buck or so for some extra goodies at lunch. We thought we were real sly. Dad's been gone close to 12 years now. Last year, Mom spilled the beans that he'd actually grab extra change on his commute home so we could "steal" it.
39. To-Do List Done
During a chat around my engagement time, mom dropped a surprising fact over dinner after a few drinks. We were discussing my fiancée's (now wife) impending birthday and mom giggled a bit. Naturally, I wanted to know what amused her. She chuckled, "Oh, it's an odd coincidence".
My curiosity piqued, I prodded her to spill. She blurted out, "Your fiancée's birthday is the day you were conceived". Mom then filled me in on how dad, busy with a massive snowstorm, briefly popped home for two hours amidst a near-week-long absence. His agenda - freshen up, do laundry, and apparently, make a baby.
40. They Played The Field—A Lot
When I was a teen, my parents let slip that my dad had two ex-wives. And my mom? She ditched four fiancés. Everyone always gushed about Mom and Dad's great bond. I thought they were just flattering them. But actually, they couldn't believe they were still together. They've been hitched for nearly half a century.
41. Chucky Got Chucked
Once upon a time, my sister and I had this doll we loved playing with. The doll went missing one day and it hit us hard. Only much later did my mom admit she'd chucked it because it reminded her of the creepy doll from "Chucky". Freaked her out so bad that she lost sleep until it was gone.
As a teen though, I really had to play it cool. You know, the whole "boys don't get upset over dolls" thing? So, I just stayed quiet about it. Today, I'm 25 and, not gonna lie, I still miss that doll. Maybe that's why I've never thought about having kids - losing the doll felt like losing a child.
42. What’s In A Name?
I'm not giving you my real name, because it's pretty rare and has an unusual spelling. I've heard different versions but mine - apparently my dad got creative when he was naming me at the hospital. My first initial matches his; guess he went for the whole namesake thing. Who knows why my mom didn't argue.
Now, as a woman in my 30s, my sister finally revealed the insane truth: Apparently, I'm actually named after our dad's former flame. I'm not mad, just astounded that the truth has come out after all these years, and my parents don’t know that I'm onto them. Honestly, it sort of explains why I've always felt like my mom favored my sister. Maybe my name is a bitter reminder for her.
43. Truth About Pills
As a kid, I used to take ADD meds for a bit. Issue was, I kept dozing off in class and was pretty much zoned out 24/7. My teacher said I was like a walking dead compared to normally me. It got so bad my mom used to sob herself to sleep over how I'd changed. I only got back to my usual self after I went off the pills.
Years later, I brought it up to my mom, and she finally revealed the truth: Those pills I'd been taking had been sleeping pills.
44. Hypocrites.
My parents didn't let this secret out, but my uncle did. He told me how both of my parents were titanic stoners. They pounded sobriety into me for close to 20 years, sometimes literally. Because of this, and to this day, I neither drink nor smoke anything. Not too much later, I found out that my dad still indulges on golf outings using a THC vape pen. He's in his mid-60s.
45. Supernatural Secret
A month following my dad's passing, I stumbled upon a letter. What it revealed blew my mind. It came from a lady claiming to have had a child with my dad before he met my mom. In it, she said the girl, my half-sister, wanted to bond with our dad and invited him to her high school graduation. It was an old letter, sent years ago.
It turned interesting when my dad’s troublesome sister tried to spill the beans about this girl, hoping to shake us up. But whoops, her nasty scheme failed flat because I already knew the truth. Sometimes I wonder, was it my dad, from the afterlife, directing me to find that letter to avoid the shock?
46. Do As I Say, Not As I Do
My parents brought me up in a Southern Baptist Church, really drilling the whole True Love Waits/no-hanky-panky-before-marriage thing into me as a teen. It didn't bug me since I wasn't really dating and didn't want reckless fun leading to a surprise baby.
Twenty years on, Mom confesses she and Dad didn't exactly wait for their vows. A bit of a surprise, but also kinda funny.
47. Stain Of Glory
Once when I was a little kid, about five or six, my family crashed at my uncle's place for a night. My sister and I, being typical nosy kids, found a framed t-shirt with a huge pink stain on it. We quizzed my uncle about it and he told us it was from a milkshake. We totally bought that.
Fast forward to when I was 15, I was told the actual deal. Turns out, the stain was from a crazy incident when my uncle almost lost his life. He was on a date and this dude snatched his date's purse. My uncle ran after him, not realizing the thug had a buddy hiding nearby.
This accomplice jumped out and knifed my uncle in the neck. Close call, but my uncle survived, and still rocks to this day.
48. Dad Checks Up On Daughter
When I hit 20, my brother revealed the secret they'd been keeping my whole life - I was adopted. All my siblings knew and kept it hush-hush. Turns out, my mom and real mom are like, distant relatives. My biological dad was a biker dude, and both parents struggled with addiction, with zero idea how to handle a little one.
After discovering all this, I came across photos of my biological dad. I was floored when I saw that face. I realized I knew him. He was this regular at my previous workplace - a restaurant. He always treated me right and even mentioned knowing some family of mine, but he kept it casual.
Turns out, he didn't drop by for the grub, he was just making sure his girl was doing alright.
49. She Was A Baby Mule
When I hit 18, I got this birthday card from my aunt and uncle, the ones I only remember from pictures. Haven't seen them since diaper days, yet they sent me a card. But then my mom accidentally let the truth slip out - apparently, they used to use yours truly to smuggle things across the border.
Yup, they'd hide all kinds of stuff using baby-me as the perfect cover. Once, they even stashed drugs in my diaper.
50. Investigation Leads To Secret
All my life, I was told my dad lost his life in a car crash. In middle school, I found papers proving he was under the influence when it happened, and after that, I was incredibly angry at him. Now I can't even stomach the idea of drinking. My family never seemed to dispute it.
Fast forward to college, I chose to explore my dad's story for a research project. I reached out to his friends, old teachers, ex-colleagues and started piecing the story together without my family knowing. My dad was a super talented architect working for a big-shot in town.
Seems like my dad was really good at his job, and the boss was pretty fond of him. So much so, he wanted to make my dad his business partner. But this messed with boss's son's plans. After an argument with his dad and a totalled car, boss junior got the boot from the company. And the worst part? He put the blame 100% on one person: My dad.
Once I started looking into what happened that night—Valentine's Day, of all days—I unearthed a load of odd stuff. For starters, my family never saw my dad's body. Plus, the post-mortem was done before even alerting my grandparents, a big no-no where I live. But the biggest red flag was the supposed passenger in dad's car that night.
This guy, a friend of my dad’s, was the one who reported the crash. They said both men were at a party that night where my dad got wasted. But this friend couldn’t have been there—his wife insists he was home with a stomach bug.
Eventually, I found a nurse who treated my dad, and her story finally revealed the disturbing truth: My dad didn't die in the crash: He was shot in the head. The doctor knew but was paid to keep quiet. I finally confronted my mom and grandma, the only ones who knew the sad truth.
They never told my grandad because the guy threatened my mom that if the news got out, I might be harmed. So they kept quiet. I even went to school with the psycho’s daughter, she's in some of my old birthday photos.
