Ever had a secret that was so crazy it could ruin lives if the truth came out? From second families to confidential cover-ups, these people have anonymously shared their earth-shattering secrets on Reddit. Reading these stories will make you believe that sometimes it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.
1. No Regrets
I once landed a call center job for our nation's tax department, mostly dealing with benefit queries. The government routinely issues payments for those falling below a specific income level, not very low indeed, so a large slice of our population is entitled. We often fielded inquiries about why they didn't receive the few hundred bucks they expected as usual.
Once I took a call from a woman who missed her expected payout. A mix of people used our service, so you can often tell genuine cases from manipulative ploys based on emotional blackmail. This woman, however, raised quite some concern—she called about the lost payment and seemed desperately upset, though trying to mask her distress.
It turned out, she had hoped to use the money for her daughter's birthday gift the next day, but now had no other means to buy it.
The detail that caught my eye was that she was in the same town as me, less than 10 10-minute drive apart. Our team has access to the government's central taxpayer database, which holds vast amounts of information about every taxpayer in the country. However, access to such data is heavily regulated, and only permissible on a need-to-know basis.
Any tiny slip-up could cost you your job instantaneously, and in serious cases, even lead to criminal charges. It's needless to say, taking any information out of the office is entirely off-limits.
Despite these stark risks, something about her call tugged at me. I genuinely felt for her. Her situation wasn't a calamity, unlike some other calls, but she certainly seemed genuinely distraught to disappoint her young daughter as a single mother, and not being able to buy her a birthday gift. From my side, there was nothing I could do to expedite her missed payment.
Seeing that she lived just a hop away from my place, I decided to take a leap of faith and committed her street address to memory. After work, I drove down to her house and rang her doorbell. When she opened the door, I told her that while passing by, I noticed a $100 bill in her front yard and handed it to her, asking if she had lost it.
She burst into tears, expressing through joyous sobs how perfectly timed it was considering her rough day. She gladly accepted the bill, and I left her door with a lighthearted comment about the universe's mysterious ways.
To be frank, was this a flagrant misuse of our taxpayer database? Unquestionably so. Did I harbor any guilt over it? Not even slightly, haha.
Ljupco Smokovski , Shutterstock
2. That Escalated Quickly
Back in the 80s, I had a friend who was really into cracking open vending machines to snatch free drinks and change.
He attempted to do so at a predominantly Jewish school (I won't say where) and accidentally sparked a fire in the machine. This happened over the weekend with no one around, and the fire ended up destroying nearly half the school, forcing them to close for a year and costing them an unimaginable amount of money.
The media couldn't get enough of this "act of hatred" for weeks, and boy, were we nervous about our secret coming out—that he was to blame. But we were fortunate that in those days, the kind of surveillance we have now didn't exist.
The story was all over the news and newspapers. Everyone immediately assumed that some anti-Semitic group was behind the attack on the school.
In reality, it was just two clueless, poor kids in second-hand clothes and old bikes trying to get their hands on a free beverage.
3. The Wet Bandit
During a school field trip, I accidentally caused a flood at our hotel. I turned all the faucets on in the men's restroom, not knowing there had been a cut-off in the water supply for 10 minutes. I forgot to turn them off afterward, unaware that some of the faucets had stoppers in place, which I overlooked.
This led to significant water damage across two floors, including the girls' dormitory. Given the hefty repair costs, it's no surprise that many public places now opt for push tap systems over manual ones!
One classmate knew I was in the restroom at that time, but he kept his lips sealed while the teacher questioned everyone. Afraid of my family being financially culploable and fearing potential embarrassment, I didn't confess. To date, and that's 15 years after the incident, I still haven't confessed to anyone.
4. It’s On Me
For two decades, I've been burdened by guilt over something I did. In my first month of having a driver's license, I accidentally knocked off someone's side mirror while driving on a thin road. With nobody in sight and the thought of my parents being more overbearing, I succumbed to panic and simply drove off. What happened next shook me.
In an instance at a restaurant, I overheard a couple's conversation about their car's mirror being knocked off, just like the situation I was in before. I decided to anonymously cover their bill. While it didn't entirely rectify my past blunder, it did slightly alleviate the guilt I had carried since I was a naive 16-year-old.
5. Frosted Whats?
About a decade and a half ago, while the IT team was fixing my office computer, the technician had to leave briefly. I seized those valuable 5 minutes to take advantage of the admin access.
I dove into the most popular company template—one that's used by over 200 staff and accessed more than 100,000 times annually—and planted a little hidden message in tiny letters. It read "Frosted Butts". Why I did it? I really don't know. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Fast forward to a year ago, I caught up with a former colleague who's still with the firm. Even though I've since left the company, this strange little surprise has originated millions of instances in the last 14 years and to my absolute delight, it still exists.
6. All Play And No Work
I never really do any work. I'm not fond of my current occupation. We're currently searching for an experienced Angular developer to help with an application that, in my opinion, is one of the most challenging I've ever encountered. Producing results can be frustrating when you struggle just to make the environment function.
In addition to this, our CEO, who developed the app, takes great pride in it, which makes it difficult to raise concerns about its quality. I work remotely, but I hardly put in an hour each day. Considering my productivity is average, I presume most of my colleagues are managing in a similar fashion.
Regardless, I'll be starting a new role this upcoming Monday.
7. Evil Stepfather
My father-in-law and I don't exactly see eye to eye; I'm not fond of him, to say the least. Interestingly, my wife, his stepdaughter, echoes my feelings. It's safe to say her mother has caught on to our shared indifference.
He's consistently overlooked by everyone due to his high level of self-absorption. It remains a mystery why her mother continues to tolerate his behavior. Although he is extremely wealthy, she is financially independent too.
Intriguingly, he has bequeathed a substantial inheritance to us—more precisely, my wife, and by extension, our kids. Strangely enough, this stirs a sense of greed within us, causing us to suppress our true feelings. However, his behavior renders him unlikable, to put it politely.
On the bright side, tolerating his presence secures a financially stable future for our sons. I resent the control his money holds over us, but it's just the way of the world, I suppose.
8. Knowledge Is Power
I've got a super powerful Excel file under wraps—nobody else knows it exists. It's a total game-changer—inside, it spills the beans about every colleague's social security numbers and what they're making. Even details about the big boss are in there! It ended up in my inbox, all thanks to an error by HR.
9. Write Or Wrong?
I gained writing skills as I aspired to become a novelist. Interestingly, I've earned more in a year by creating tailored, adult-themed stories than what seasoned engineers usually make.
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10. The Old College Try
I left college just a year shy of earning my degree. If my father and stepmother discover this, I might be back to being homeless once more. Regrettably, I'm still not in a position to get my own place.
11. Sad But True
I have a lot of involvement with patients suffering from dementia, and I sincerely yearn for a way to alleviate their suffering. It truly tears me apart to see their families hopelessly clinging to the person they once knew, who isn't there anymore.
These individuals, stuck in a shell of forgetfulness, can't recall anything or anyone. They even fail to remember episodes of pain, which leads them to become anxious and distressed easily. I find it terribly distressing, and ardently wish for a more compassionate solution.
12. Spreading Weeds
There's one unique instance when my life resembled a movie plot. Around 15 years ago, I ended up scattering about a thousand somewhat questionable seeds in a secluded area of a nature reserve. I thought they would grow into a lush, green forest—but I was so wrong. They ended up growing into weeds...so that's not good.
13. WonderBread
I tweaked my university's website, switching the homepage image from a multi-ethnic student group shot to a simple loaf of white bread.
The school's management had launched a promotional adventure, trying to paint our institution as a multicultural hotspot, which I felt was rather insincere, or even misleading, considering 96% of students here are white and Christian.
Understandably, the management was livid, more so when they discovered they couldn't undo my alterations to the code. Their only option was to take down the whole site before rebuilding it entirely. Consequently, there was an intense search for the culprit who had embarrassed the community. But, they never considered it could be me.
14. Shut Up And Drive
My successful attempt at a driver's license test, well, never happened. The day I scheduled my road test, I didn't pass it. I decided to renew my learners permit afterward. When I left the DMV, I happened to glance at what they've given me—lo and behold, instead of a renewed learners permit, I found a full-fledged license in my hand.
Shocked, I rushed over to the car to tell my mom about the mix-up. She simply told me to hop in the car, and we sped off promptly. Now, that's a story from 30 years ago.
15. Thelma And Louise
When my friend and I were just 13, we "took" a car for a little joyride. We drove it for a good 300 miles before deciding to leave it behind. We managed to get back home by hitchhiking, and no one was any the wiser. We sure had a ton of fun doing it. Mind you, this was all back in the 70's.
16. Joyriding
During my high school years, around the age of 14 or 15, my friends and I had a bit of mischief in us. We lived in a small countryside town in the UK where, despite a police presence, we often got into some trouble.
One of our sources of adventure was a tiny Rover Metro that was conveniently left unlocked and with its keys inside. Late into the night, often after 11 pm, we'd sneak out, start the car, and drive it around.
Through the night, we'd explore, with clouds of smoke billowing from the windows, relishing in our little escapades. Always considerate, we'd refill the petrol and park the car back before morning, no harm done. But it was too good to be true.
But, word got around, and a newfound friend took it for a spin. Unfortunately, he didn't treat the car as kindly. He ruined the clutch and damaged the gearbox, before dumping it some 10 miles away.
Even to this day, the memory of that once gleaming little car, wrecked and abandoned, brings sorrow. I also feel a pang of guilt for the elderly owner who must've been devastated by the loss.
17. Extreme Couponer
When I was in college, I had this part-time job at a major craft and fabric store. It was a cool gig, since I have a knack for all things old-fashioned, I hit it off quite well with the senior ladies who loved shopping there.
It was always interesting to chat with them about the different crafts they were working on—they really appreciated someone listening to them!
This store had one interesting quirk though. They would inflate the prices of their items, only to put them "on sale" later at a more reasonable price. Truthfully, the sale price was what the items should have been priced at in the first place.
This so-called "sale" strategy was just a way to help you feel less guilty about spending heaps of money. Despite regular sales and the store's app offering loads of coupons, the tricky terms and conditions pretty much rendered most of these deals worthless.
I was a cashier at this store, and here's the twist. All our coupons had identical barcodes and could be used multiple times. So, when these dear elderly ladies would arrive at the counter with a bill often exceeding $100 for their crafting items, I'd 'stumble upon' a coupon and apply it for them.
I would provide these 'discounts' quite frequently—the 40% off coupon didn't apply to sale items, which was basically everything in the store. So, customers would be disappointed when their coupon couldn't be used due to their desired item being "on sale". To solve this, I bent the rules a little: I entered the item manually to give them the discount.
From the summer until fall (around 4-5 months), I must have saved customers hundreds of dollars. Was this all quite shady? Yup. Could I have been dismissed if discovered? Definitely.
But seeing the customers' joy and knowing that they would create amazing things was so worth it. I didn’t want to be the one to stifle their creativity, but rather help nurture it.
Oh, and one more fun tidbit: We would regularly clean up synthetic flowers that fell from their stems, ready to be discarded since they could no longer be sold. Instead of wasting them, I pocketed these pretty petals, later turning them into unique scrapbooking materials or hair accessories. Just another way of refusing wastefulness.
18. This Smells Fishy
I first became best friends with my buddy back in the 7th grade. Since we lived in adjacent neighborhoods, we hung out pretty much every afternoon, alternating houses equally. His mom, knowing I once said I loved salmon, would often cook it whenever I visited. This was back when I was too nervous to voice my actual preferences.
At their house, the crispy salmon skin was highly coveted, and it was an all-out scramble to get it. Between 2006 and 2017, I consumed more salmon and crunchy skin than I care to admit, although I'm actually not a salmon fan, and frankly the crispy skin creeps me out.
I find the smell particularly offensive, especially these days when my husband cooks it. It just drives me nuts. But 'til this day, whenever I meet my best friend and his kind-hearted mom, and she lovingly prepares my "favorite" dish, I go along with the charade, complimenting her on the taste while cringing inwardly.
The truth of my dislike for salmon has been buried for too long now to reveal. To add to this plot, I now work as a teacher in my hometown. Last December 2022, after a school day, I had dinner with them.
My best friend's mom, despite juggling the responsibilities of taking care of her dementia-affected elderly father and looking after her four lively grandkids, took the trouble to prepare my "supposedly favorite dish". But little does she know my secret regarding the salmon.
19. Close Enough
Let me tell you a little secret about my father-in-law. Officially, legally speaking, he's actually his own brother.
His brother died when he was still young. Back in those days, they lived pretty far from the government office where you'd get new documents. His dad couldn't be bothered to undertake such a long journey just to get another birth certificate, so they simply started using his late brother's paperwork.
Now, on all formal records, his name is A, but among family and friends, we've always known him as B. Curious, isn't it?
20. You Win Some, You Lose Some
In just a month of dabbling in the stock market, I turned $100 into $4000. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst—I lost nearly everything I had made.
If my family got wind of my trading antics and the subsequent loss of $4k, they would give me a hard time; particularly because we're struggling financially and every penny counts. But to me, it's not that big of a deal anymore. I've written it off as a humorous tale and a life lesson.
21. Grand Theft Napkin
When I visit the cinema, I typically grab a bunch of serviettes from the counter for my stash of 'car napkins'.
I'm waiting for the day they catch on and come after me.
22. Speedran Life
Honestly, I find myself lacking the drive to pursue much of anything these days. My motivation currently revolves around providing for my family and aiding them in fulfilling their ambitions because I've already fulfilled all of mine. This is something I keep to myself to avoid potential disagreements.
To be frank, I have all but run out of personal aspirations. My bucket list doesn't have any boxes left to tick. I've achieved all the significant things I aimed for in life.
I'm free from any debt, have a great-paying job, I've had the opportunity to reside abroad, bought and sold property, enjoyed regular vacations with family, explored different corners of the world, the list goes on.
To sum it up, I feel as if I've exhausted my goals and I'm not even 40 yet. My towering ambition that I had in my youth, growing up in a small-town trailer park, is now largely satiated. By my 20s, I had already gone beyond my initial lifetime targets. I just kept adding more, but now it seems I have depleted all my desires, ideas, and needs.
23. Friday, I’m In Love
This would be a dream come true for many, but for me, it's more like a nightmare. I know for a fact my boss isn't monitoring my work. Here's how I'm sure: every Friday, about 30 minutes into my workday, I head home while still technically "on the clock" and only clock out when my shift officially ends.
24. Give It 20%
You know, I only put in a full day's work one out of five in a week. If we've got looming deadlines, sure, I'll put in extra hours. But for the most part, I try to look occupied and do just enough not to get sacked. Everyone believes I'm always swamped and running behind on tasks. I'm not, not really.
You won't see me volunteering for additional tasks or jumping in when extra help is needed. And why is that? The reason is simple—well, there's no pay hike, no promotion, no appreciation, no acknowledgement of any sort.
I've also stopped sharing my ideas, even though they're pretty great ones, if I do say so myself. The spark and excitement I once had has been completely snuffed out by my egoistic, degrading and out of touch boss, under whose reign I unfortunately serve.
25. Saved By The Belly
I snuck some answers in during my German high school final exam.
If anyone of significance found out within two years of me passing, my diploma would've been revoked. That means, my university would've sent me packing. I had scribbled some key points on my stomach with a marker, anything that I could recall prior to the exam.
We were permitted to use the restroom once, which I capitalized on to peek at the info I scribbled for the questions I stumbled on. I sailed through the exam with ease
26. He Didn’t Start The Fire
This story takes place back in my fourth-grade days, when I shared a classroom with a special needs student. This young boy had a tendency for unpredictable behavior which was quite challenging for everyone around him.
In any case, one day we were asked to bring matches from home for a science project. Me being a bit of a troublemaker, I decided to light one right in class, which caused quite a commotion.
When teachers tried to figure out who was responsible, I blamed it on the autistic boy in our class. Given his behavioral track record, they believed me without question. As a result, he was handed a temporary suspension, while I managed to dodge any consequences.
I spent the rest of the year without raising any suspicion, and I switched schools the following year, so the true culprit was never discovered.
I'm not at all proud of what I did. I used someone's disability to escape trouble. Looking back, I knew I did wrong but didn't grasp the full extent of it. Now that I'm older and wiser, I see the profound seriousness of my actions. I could've caused the boy to be expelled for something he had no part in.
27. Road Ragers
I ended up in a situation where road rage led to an accident, and I left the scene.
I was idling at a red light, ready to make a left turn, when a motorcyclist pulled up alongside the car in front of me and they began chatting. I gave a honk because the light had turned green and I had already waited about 30 seconds. I didn't want to miss the light, especially since I was headed to one of my college classes.
The car took off, but the motorcyclist started to spit on my car and shout at me. After I honked and flipped him off, he made a left turn, and I decided to follow quickly. He kept trying to cut me off, yelling all the while, and even brake-checked me.
I decided not to let him slide with that behaviour, so I returned the favour once traffic allowed. Unfortunately, that led him to crash into the curb as I cut him off.
I'd like to clarify that I didn't make any physical contact with the motorcyclist, but my actions did result in him crashing. I rushed away from the scene immediately. I did notice a fire truck stopping to aid him as I sped off, and that sight has made me feel quite guilty.
Now I'm more cautious on the road and don't react to other drivers' behaviour; it's just not worth it.
28. Finders Keepers
A few days back, a customer shopped and paid using a gift card. The cash register stalled when processing the card's CVV code. Before I could remedy the situation, the customer, groceries in hand, was out the door.
So there I was, contemplating the possibility that this customer just duped me with an empty gift card. I stashed the card back in the register and let it slide. Curiosity, after my shift ended, led me to take the gift card with me. Upon reaching home, I checked the available balance. I couldn't believe it—voila, it had $550!
Given my current situation as a cash-strapped student juggling two part-time jobs, I've decided to utilize this windfall to cover my food and other essentials for the ensuing month. I'm aware this doesn't make my actions entirely ethical.
29. Card Sharks
In 2006, here in Canada, there was a huge oil drilling boom in Alberta. Lots of young guys my age went out to Alberta to make $10k/mo+ doing manual labor jobs.
Several of my friends went. I stayed home because I was making a living playing poker at the time. One of my friends was injured on the job out there and invited me out there to play poker with him. There were tons of poker games going on everywhere, lots of young guys with tons of cash.
We spent the entire winter cheating at poker. We had a dozen tricks. Most of it centered around the idea of loading the bottom of the deck and base-dealing each other’s cards (mechanics grip). We had some good communication tricks, and we did it very well. We could make a couple grand per night.
We never got caught. It was a crummy living. We slept in a van or hotels for the winter and ate gas station food for a while.
30. Who’s The Boss Now?
One day, I walked into my office to find one of my female coworkers had used my computer for a Facebook chat and forgot to log out. Given it was my space and my PC, I skimmed through some of the messages. I discovered that she had been having an affair with our boss for quite some time, with the messages revealing deeply intimate details.
By the way, my boss is married. He even made a joke in one chat about the female employee departing "just five minutes before my wife got home". Although our boss and I are on the same level professionally, we've butted heads constantly for years and there's no love lost between us. This discovery just confirmed my low opinion of him.
This all happened about three years ago. In the years since, we've had several more heated disagreements. Throughout them, I've known that I had the power to turn his world upside down if I chose to expose what I'd discovered, but I've always chosen to take the moral high ground.
Little does he know that I still have that explosive chat conversation saved on my computer.
31. Facebook Family
I discovered that the man I've known as my dad is not my natural-born dad. It seems like my biological father passed away years ago, and I didn't have a chance to meet him. My mother had loved him deeply and during a short break in my parents' relationship in the early '80s, I was conceived. But after I was born, my mother went back to the man I know as my dad.
The irony here? No one else knows that I've uncovered this secret. I've managed to find my biological father's children and his extended family on Facebook. I haven't reached out or tried to connect with them but sometimes, when I feel low, I browse their profiles just to see what their lives are like.
So, it turns out I have two younger half-siblings that I've never met. I wonder if they even know about me. I'm hesitant to reveal to anyone that I know the truth, worried it might stir up old tensions, or even cause pain and damage to my relationship with my family.
32. Swipe Right?
Not too long ago, I decided to give Tinder a try and downloaded the app. Two minutes in and I was already spooked—Interestingly, the tenth profile to pop up was my buddy's wife.
33. Forbidden Love
A close friend's wife has expressed romantic feelings towards me. They are a married couple with three children, and she has expressed readiness to leave her family to start a new life with me. The revelation of this information could cause significant disruption in the lives of at least four individuals.
Adding more complexity to the situation is the fact that I am a woman 15 years her junior.
34. Not The Sharpest…
I'm a high school teacher.
One day, an average student who's a good guy but not too sharp, approached me after class. "Mr. Deradius, I was out fishing this morning and totally forgot I had this on me. I wanted to be honest," he said.
My eyebrows shot up as he handed me a pocket knife.
We have a no-tolerance policy at the district, so it's up in the air as to what happens next. Much depends on his past. It's likely that the consequences won't be pleasant.
The last thing I want is for this guy to learn so early in life that honesty will have you crushed by an unforgiving system. I realized I needed to navigate this carefully.
I explained the policy to him and its implications, if I were any other teacher. I then tucked the knife away in my pocket, secretly worried if I'd lose my job over it. At the end of the day, I returned it to him, warning him, "I never saw this. You're going straight home, never bring this back to school, and let's never mention this again."
I don't often bend or break rules or laws. Heck, I even drive five miles below the speed limit. I felt a twinge of guilt here, but I couldn't bear to penalize this guy for doing the right thing.
35. I Got You, Bro
My identical twin brother and I are both third-year students at our university. He's a fun-loving, sociable frat guy who is always the center of attention and popular with the ladies.
I, in contrast, prefer quieter pursuits, such as hanging out with a tight-knit circle of friends, having picnics at the park, and attending low-key gatherings at my girlfriend’s place. I certainly don't thrive on large gatherings like my brother does.
However, one eventful night, my brother had one too many drinks and lost control. He became involved in some altercations and even hurled a TV through the window of his frat house…
He was also filmed kissing another man.
Let me be clear in stating my acceptance of all orientations as they are no different than being straight. Both my brother and I were raised to be open-minded by our parents, who shared this view. Nonetheless, his social popularity was at risk if his friends, who sadly harbored prejudices, knew about his attraction to men.
So, as any caring sibling would, I stepped in and claimed it was me in that video, not him. My friends and girlfriend knew the truth and were indifferent. But my brother was stunned by my action. The joy on his face was worth all the jokes and teasing!
As twins, we stick together—from birth till death!
36. Like Father, Like Son?
Back in my final year of high school, I began dating a boy who was a year junior to me. Just as we were about to break up, he revealed a totally unexpected, life-changing secret—that his father and my mom had a secret dalliance.
At first, I didn't accept it. But when I confronted my mom, she confessed and pleaded with me not to share it with my dad. I've kept the secret for 14 years now. However, I capitalised on this knowledge and used it to my advantage whenever I got a chance.
37. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
I'm fully aware that my mom wasn't loyal to my dad, and I know who she was unfaithful with. But, I've come to realize that life isn't so simple and nothing is entirely right or wrong. During that time, I was pretty young and may not have fully grasped the dynamics of their relationship. Initially, as a kid, I remember feeling upset.
However, as I've aged, I've learned that life revolves around choices—and not every choice is the right one. That doesn't necessarily classify the individual as bad, but only human (not trying to justify what happened, mind you).
Their marriage ended quite some time back, owing to different reasons, but here's where it gets interesting—my dad still holds my mom dear to his heart.
Finding out about her affair would be devastating to him and to my younger sister as well. I would much rather have my father cherish the happy moments he shared with my mom, rather than spoil it all because 'I feel the need to express it'.
38. Bed Of Lies
My friend's spouse believes he was her initial partner. A few months into their relationship, she was unfaithful to him. They're now husband and wife, and he doesn't have a clue about it. To compound the issue, he's one of the kindest folks around.
39. Would-Be Whistleblower
Back when I was in high school, I took up a job at a big-name hotel situated in the outskirts of a city in the Midwestern region. It wasn't a tough job overall, but interestingly, there was a government-owned ammunition factory nearby that was in the process of being taken over by a private company.
Many of the top brass from this company chose our hotel as their temporary stay during the transition. Then this one night, a man dressed in a suit steps in quite late and hands me a few documents to fax (oh yes, in the late '90s, faxes were all the rage!) He casually declines when I ask him if he wants to stick around for the confirmation, and walks away.
Back at the office, I start feeding the documents into the fax machine. Caught by curiosity, I sneak a peek and...whoa. Each page is highlighting acts of bad practice, gross neglect, and hidden environmental catastrophes originating from this production factory.
The issues were horrifying—unmitigated disposal of chemicals into the watershed that led to a nearby populated area, hazardous liquid holding ponds vulnerable to breakage, the list went on and on.
The information in my hands had the power to disturb quite a few lives if leaked. I could have made copies and dropped them at the local journalistic office, but admittedly, I chickened out. Instead, I just threw it all in the trash can and resumed my daily routine.
40. Meet The Parents
I was the other man in an illicit relationship. As if that was not troubling enough, I totally crossed the line—I inadvertently caused her to fall pregnant. She delivered the baby last December. Her husband remains oblivious. I'm filled with remorse for my foolish choices and must now cope with the heavy burden of my errors.
In a rather infamous manner, I had quite a track record with the mothers of some of my high school classmates—I ended up being a late-night rendezvous point for six of these moms, whose kids I used to go to school with.
41. Still In The Closet
I've been involved with five NFL players—three of whom are still active in the league, while the other two are on retirement. The catch? I'm a man. The initial encounter happened after I replied to an ad on Craigslist, and that's how I got to know the others.
Three out of these five are committed to women, either as husbands or fiances. If I reveal these experiences, it could devastate multiple lives, and potentially even bring down their professional careers.
42. Truth Hertz
I'm employed at a place where the bosses have been bending the rules for quite some time. Let's imagine it's a car rental, just for the sake of argument, even though it's not. Protocol says the company should only rent out vehicles to customers who need them for longer durations, like on a monthly basis.
Plus, these long-term rentals are far cheaper than daily ones–$15 per month versus $13 per day. Therefore, there's a limit to the profits the business can make.
For who knows how long, they've been dodging this restriction. They often lease cars for $13 a day, sometimes even higher when the town is packed with visitors for events who need transportation.
They rack up quite a hefty profit. Who can tell what kind of taxes they've been dancing around by understating their earnings?
In spite of being probed a couple of times, they always manage to show some rather basic, forged paperwork claiming they only rent for long-term.
If I were to spill the beans and reveal their digital records which prove the contrary, they would owe one city a boatload of money and probably have to shut down. I've thought about blowing the whistle on them to the authorities or even blackmailing them, primarily because they compensate me poorly.
Though, I doubt I'll actually go through with either option. I'm pretty sure they’d rope in some unsavoury types to cause trouble for me and the people I hold dear.
43. Everyone’s Guilty
In our final year of middle school, we had this enormous, truly mammoth of a project. It involved writing multiple essays, along with perfect bibliographies, all organized neatly in a binder.
This project was legendary. We'd been listening to terrifying tales about it as far back as sixth grade. While we were technically given the entire year to complete it, being typical eighth graders, most of us procrastinated until the last possible minute.
Several students ended up pulling consecutive all-nighters. A few savvy high schoolers made some quick cash by selling their completed papers and bibliographies to us. It was pretty hardcore, especially for that academic level.
One day, I arrived at school to find the girl whose locker was beside mine noticeably absent. She was pretty and liked to flirt with me, so, naturally, I inquired about her whereabouts.
Shockingly, she'd been expelled. Our private school strictly enforced a no-plagiarism rule, and one of her papers, copied directly from Wikipedia, had been discovered by a teacher. Her sudden expulsion was especially surprising because her dad was a high-ranking city official.
Here's the real heartbreaker though...every single one of us was guilty of plagiarism. Yes, each one of us. We just expertly rephrased things so they wouldn't match the original Wikipedia articles exactly. She had followed suit but unfortunately overlooked one paper.
44. Gave Away The Glory
In high school, a girl I knew took many advanced courses early on and surged ahead of everyone. Her senior photo was taken early to recognize her as a valedictorian in the yearbook.
Unlike her, I tackled my advanced classes later, and towards the close of the year, I learnt that I was the true valedictorian. They wanted me to get a photo for the yearbook to replace hers and deliver a speech in her stead at graduation.
However, there was a complication—she was a childhood friend and we've known each other since kindergarten. Most people were oblivious of her status as valedictorian due to her reserved nature.
But I couldn't do it—I couldn't replace her photo and couldn't take the opportunity to give the speech. I wanted her to have a taste of recognition, just once.
Despite my declination, they kept her photo, but renamed her as the "top senior". She ended up delivering a wonderful speech. Even though my heart knew I stood at the peak, I was content knowing she had her moment to grace the spotlight, if only for a single day.
45. Toupee Secret
During the early years of the internet, I co-founded a business that designed websites specifically for musicians. A pretty famous artist, who wasn't a superstar back in 2000, but could still fill a venue, handed over his personal digital camera to us to source photos for his website.
By 2000, this artist was huge, selling out large venues and by a few years later, he was even able to sell out stadiums. Stashed in that camera were numerous personal photos, capturing not just the artist himself, but also his band and other popular figures in the industry.
The most revealing shot showed him and a band member in bed together, sharing a cuddle. The identity of our artist becomes clear from a mirror reflection in the photo—it indeed was him with his blonde bandmate. Additional photos captured them sharing shoulder massages and intimate moments. There were even some unflattering pictures of him without his toupee.
But what could inflict serious harm to his and his equally famous friends' reputations were the pictures documenting their heavy drug use, taken backstage during concerts and recording sessions. Not unexpectedly, the artist was visibly nervous when discussing his website with me.
I stored all of his photos onto a CD, which I held onto for some time. I revealed them to a handful of friends after they expressed their skepticism when I narrated the story behind the pictures. After years passed, guilt led me to destroy my copy of the CD. I parted ways with the company in 2002. Rumour has it, they still retain those photos in their storage.
46. Happy Families
In my days as an assistant chef, our kitchen had a seating area clearly visible from the preparation side. There was a regular customer, a sort of stereotypical wealthy business magnate, who would always take that seat, and always with a new woman on his arm.
Eventually, he began to bring his wife and young son, aged around 5-7, but he didn't stop showing up with a revolving door of women. His wife seemed like the classic trophy spouse, and there was a distinct lack of warmth in their relationship.
It was almost amusing in a tragicomic way—two individuals rolling in riches, but brimming with discontentment.
What really irked me, though, was seeing this shifty character coach his son, modeling behavior for him to grow up mirroring his dubious ethical standards. I always had this desire to tell the kid just what a poor excuse for a role model his father was, in spite of the guy's financial stature.
47. Mum’s The Word
Years ago, before I had my own daughter, I donated my eggs to a friend who then had twins. My family isn't aware of this because they wouldn't grasp that these twins are not my children, or in their case, their grandkids or niece/nephew.
I worry that if they were to discover this, it would lead to a lot of unrest and they would likely bother my friend, wanting to engage. Therefore, I've chosen to only disclose this to my brother after our parents are no longer with us, since he has a tendency to overshare.
48. None Of Your Business
When I was about 10, a pal from school constantly mentioned that her dad was out of town on an extended business trip. However, one evening, I saw some news about him on our local TV channel—and what was revealed was startling. Turns out, he was in jail for some shady money business I later learned was embezzlement. He didn't come out until we were both twenty.
My mom was really strict about me keeping this gossip to myself. She caution me not to breathe a word to anybody at school or any of our buddies. If I did, it could totally ruin this poor girl's life.
Reality caught up with us in middle school, and the truth came out. It caused her a lot of heartache. But at least with my silence, I was able to delay the inevitable for a bit.
49. Don’t Ruin The Illusion
In the process of setting up my father-in-law's email on his iPhone, I inadvertently came across a suspicious text from a female coworker. As I opened the message, I stumbled upon a yearlong history of their interactions. It seems they had arranged private morning and evening rendezvous.
Considering my mother-in-law departs early for her nursing shifts, this woman would turn up later on, supposedly to "carpool" to work. Having upheld a marriage of 34 years that is fundamentally grounded in their shared faith, this revelation could shatter their world.
My wife and her siblings were brought up in a picture-perfect environment, and breaking this news might splinter the family. The sheer thought of how much this might devastate my wife and how it might alter her perception of her father is the only thing that keeps me from spilling the secret.
I've pondered discussing it with him one-on-one, but I honestly wouldn't know where to start.
50. The Heart-Breaking Truth
My grandma often shared stories about her dad, a firefighter who she believed had died from a heart attack at the early age of 35. It always struck me as odd since there was no other evidence of heart disease in our family, let alone anyone passing away at such a young age due to it.
When she was battling terminal cancer, her final wish was to be laid to rest next to her father. However, she didn't even know where he was buried. I promised her I would uncover the truth. After digging into our family history, I found out that he hadn't died of a heart attack after all.
Instead, he had left my great-grandma, moved to LA, started over with a new family, and lived for another three decades past the point my grandma thought he had passed.
I made a decision not to tell my grandma the truth—that her father had abandoned her. His memory was still precious to her and discovering that he had essentially thrown her life into disarray; leading to her ending up in an orphanage, seemed too cruel.
I do feel intrigued about this other family he created but I'm doubtful they'd want to know that their parents' marriage was technically illegitimate since he never got a divorce from my great-grandma.
Sources: Reddit,
