Surprises come in many shapes and forms, but these twist endings were so massive, they had our jaws on the floor. From secret families to straight-up secrets, these stories from Reddit prove one thing once and for all: The truth always comes out. And let us tell you that when it does, it's never pretty. Strap in, this is going to be a very wild ride.
1. Missed Encounters
At my husband's college buddy's wedding reception, we moseyed over to our table and started introducing ourselves, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newlyweds. The moment we approached, everyone's faces turned ghostly white. It was evident they were not only shocked but also deeply concerned to see us there. That's when the penny dropped - the bride, an old pal of my husband, had secretly been in love with him for more than ten years.
The kicker? My husband was utterly oblivious to her decade-long feelings for him. But oh, we didn’t get through this unscathed. Right after they were announced as Mr. and Mrs., she made a beeline towards our table, completely neglecting her family and leaving her new husband in the lurch. She latched onto my husband, crying uncontrollably, occasionally throwing daggers at me with her eyes. Eventually, others had to intervene to separate her from him.
After managing to compose herself, she stalked us as we tried to make a discreet exit. Her parting words were a glance at my chest and a sarcastic, "Well, I guess now I know what I’ve been missing all these years!" Her new husband looked shell-shocked, and mine was mortified and red-faced. He was entirely in the dark about her obsession and would never have attended the wedding if he'd known. It was such a strange experience.
2. All In The Family
Back in elementary school, during a lesson commemorating WWI, our teacher asked if anyone had relatives who served during the conflict. My buddy brought in a photo of his great-great-grandpa and his wife, while a girl in our class did the same. Everything seemed normal—until the horrible truth came out.
When the teacher commented on the striking similarity between the two old pictures, she placed them side by side and her face displayed sheer shock. As we all huddled around to get a better look, it was unmistakably the same man in both pictures, secretively married to two different women at the same time, with both marriages kept hush-hush. It turned out, much to everyone's amazement, that my classmates were actually related – they were cousins and had been completely unaware of it.
3. This Town Ain’t Big Enough, Period
After finishing law school and getting engaged to my university sweetheart, both of us ended up working in the same Canberra office through the same graduate program. However, three months before we were set to get married, I discovered she was having an affair with our shared boss, leading to a heartbreaking split and a particularly nasty court battle over our assets.
Navigating through Canberra’s tight-knit lawyer community afterward was tough; seeing my ex wherever I went was a constant, painful reminder. Both of us were really struggling with it, so I decided to take some drastic steps for a fresh start.
I applied for a sought-after overseas development job in Tuvalu, a Pacific island with a tiny population. They only offer two spots every two years for this position, so landing it was a big deal. However, upon my arrival on the small island, I was in for miserable surprise.
My ex-fiancée turned out to be the other successful candidate. So there I was, spending the subsequent two years cooped up in a minuscule office, on a minuscule island, with the one person on this Earth I could barely stand to be around..
4. Hunting For Candy
I work as an estate lawyer and once had a client, a son, who was somewhat estranged from his dad but still wanted to ensure his father's estate was settled properly after he passed. The family wasn’t sure if there was a will, but they were aware of a safety deposit box his dad had. So, we secured a court order to open it and, lo and behold, found a will inside. But here's the kicker: a significant portion of the estate was bequeathed to an unknown woman.
Also in the box were photos of a bare woman with a stage name—something like “Cinnamon” or “Candy”—scribbled on the back. It didn’t take long for us to put two and two together: the dad had left a sizable part of his wealth to an exotic dancer he’d befriended in his later years. The hard part? She was completely unaware and tracking her down was a wild goose chase.
When we eventually located her and she came into the office (accompanied by a “friend”) to collect her unexpected inheritance, it was an office visit I'll never forget.
Roman Samborskyi, Shutterstock
5. A Spy In The Family
I've never been a fan of my grandma. She was pretty harsh and often made hurtful comments about my parents. My dislike for her reached a point where I cut off all contact: no visits, no calls, no texts. After a decade, she moved to the UK to live with her daughter. My aunt eventually called my dad, requesting him to send over grandma’s belongings from her house.
I had just graduated and was home, so I went with dad to pack up her stuff. When we got there, our curiosity led us to the basement, a place dad had never been allowed to enter. Breaking the lock since we couldn’t find the key, what we found inside was astounding.
The basement was filled with big, greenish, metal trunks. Opening a few revealed old, fragile books. But one peculiar brown trunk held photos of my grandparents wearing unfamiliar army uniforms. My dad, glancing from afar, initially thought they were old Indian army uniforms. But up close, the symbols on them told a different story.
After I pointed out the different emblem, my dad investigated further. More pictures, sealed envelopes, and then the real shocker: birth certificates. They revealed that my dad and his siblings had different fathers and were born in various global locations, not just India as they’d always believed.
We spent the night sifting through the trunks, unveiling one secret after another. A visit to my dad’s archivist friend revealed those uniforms were actually Soviet; my grandmother’s was Chinese army attire.
Back at the house, a broken-open locker in the master bedroom divulged even more unsettling truths. Documents about my grandfather’s army stints, high-ranking officers’ info, and details about my grandma that threw us for a loop. We began suspecting she might have been a spy for the KGB in India. Codes, fake identities, and a career that never existed—all these revelations had us reeling.
Although we've sent everything to be checked out by the archivist and are still awaiting full clarification, one thing is now clear: my grandmother, presently unconscious after a severe heart attack, is shrouded in mysteries and deceit, far from the person we thought we knew.
6. I Rest My Case
I work as a lawyer, and I once had a case involving a man who wouldn’t pay his rent because of an awful smell in his apartment that was making him ill. The landlord wanted him evicted, so that’s where I came in. But a few days into me handling the case and right before our first court date, something pretty gross happened to my client. One day, when he got home, his bathroom ceiling completely caved in on him, revealing a really nasty secret.
Apparently, some of the plumbing was not properly connected, which meant that for months, sewage had been collecting above his bathroom. Once that came to light, the landlord was quick to settle the matter out of court.
7. Say Uncle
My Great Uncle H wasn’t exactly a catch or a very intriguing guy, but he had a high opinion of himself, and oddly enough, so did our family. He never really had a long-term relationship until he met his future wife, a woman with a substantial fortune from some old German money and farmland she got from her previous marriage. Feeling lonely, she married Great Uncle H.
But that’s where her troubles began. Once they were married, my uncle set a sneaky plan into motion. He started siphoning a hefty amount of money from her accounts, which he had access to because of their marriage. He essentially took everything she had, left her drowning in debt, and then skipped the country to Canada. There, he met another woman and started a fresh life, which lasted until his first wife was gone.
Then, Uncle H came back to the US and, astoundingly, was embraced by my grandparents and their kids like nothing ever happened. Now, he lives with them, and I'm not sure if he's ever held a job in his entire life.
8. I Don’t Think That Word Means What You Think It Means
It was a head-scratcher. My colleague’s girlfriend recently slapped him with divorce papers. Yep, you heard right, his girlfriend. They aren't hitched, and common-law marriage isn’t a thing in our state. They just shared a roof for five years. She’s employed. Her name’s not on the mortgage. She also moved out a few months back. No kids in the picture. No engagement ring ever presented.
Now, in her so-called "divorce," she’s asking him to pack his bags and move out of his own house so she can move back in. On top of that, she’s requesting he pay her a monthly stipend of $2,800 for some unspecified reason. I pointed him in the direction of my divorce lawyer, who is likely to take on his case. The woman is legit unhinged. She even tried to serve him with a restraining order, which got tossed out.
9. A Textbook Case
Here's a wild story from when we were living in Florida. My dad, entirely healthy apart from suddenly seeing double, heads to the eye doctor. This was back in the early 2000s. He chats with the doctor, describing what's been going on with his vision. The doctor, thumbing through a medical book on eye issues, lands on a page that seems to explain my dad’s symptoms and shows it to him.
On the page, there's a detailed explanation and a photo of a kid from the 1960s, showcasing the rare eye problem. My dad, staring at the picture, is struck by a jolt of recognition. "Doc, that's me!" he exclaims. The doctor responds, "Yes, your symptoms match this exactly". But my dad shakes his head, insisting, "No, Doc, that kid in the picture – that’s literally me!"
As it turns out, my dad had experienced this unique eye issue as a child. It was so unusual that back in 1960s Ohio, they snapped his photo and placed it in a medical book dedicated to rare eye conditions. He can’t recall much about the photo being taken but snagged a copy to bring home. And, well, at least he managed to diagnose his own eye problem along the way.
10. No Compensation
I'm a worker’s compensation lawyer, now advocating for injured folks, but I used to represent the other side. The case that changed it all involved a guy who took a nasty fall off a ladder, wrecking his back and shoulder, and landing him in years of physical and psychological treatment. He was in rough shape and turned to court to secure permanent disability payments from my client, especially since he was the main breadwinner for his wife and two kids. After five long years of lawful battles, we were inching toward a settlement.
Buying out his future medical needs would have nudged the settlement deep into the six-figure zone, a hefty sum, yes, but remember, he had a family to support. Then, a shocking revelation turned everything on its head: The man was battling aggressive brain cancer and had only a couple more years to live, at best.
So, my client wouldn't be doling out payments for long. Ultimately, the man was granted a disability pay of around $60k per year. But given he'd only receive that for a brief time, what could have been millions shrank drastically. It was heartbreaking, seeing him and his family go through that. I pushed for my client, the insurance company, to consider a more compassionate amount, considering his situation. But the number-crunchers firmly rejected that idea.
The attorney, though he wasn’t blaming me for the decision and had invested over 5 years into that file, chose to forgo his fees, which would have been $10k+. He didn’t take a dime, all to assist his client during an incredibly bleak time. And that act of selflessness, turning down a hefty fee to aid his client in a truly tragic situation, is something I deeply respect.
11. Keeping Your Mouth Shut
My boyfriend’s parents recently lost their house, and after sharing the news with my mom, she got a bit suspicious because the details seemed off. So, she played detective, scouring our county's public records under his parents' names. Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon a sealed file labeled "ADOPTION," with my boyfriend and one of his brother’s names on it.
Interestingly, his three younger siblings weren’t listed. Now, he's never brought up being adopted, and he’s in his mid-20s - well beyond the age when you’d typically learn about that kind of thing. His family’s already been through a rough patch recently, and I don’t want to stir up any more turmoil by prying.
What's puzzling is that he shares his “dad's” surname. He was in the army and asserts that his "dad" is listed on his original birth certificate, which has left me scratching my head. His parents might not have been married when he and his brother were born, given his dad’s frequent army deployments. The adoption papers weren’t filed until he was nearly 10.
But, here’s where I’m stuck: a biological father wouldn’t need to adopt his own kids, even if the parents weren’t married at the time, right? Now that I know, I’m bursting with curiosity, but can’t breathe a word because it feels like I’ve unearthed a deep, dark family secret and I don’t want to open a can of worms.
12. It All Happened So Quick
My mom's dad, my grandfather, had quite a bit of money. After divorcing my grandmother, he quickly remarried and then, unexpectedly, had a heart attack at just 48. With no will left behind, all his possessions naturally went to his new wife, my mom’s stepmom. Surprisingly, she was really kind and had plans to distribute everything fairly among the family. But, fate took a tragic turn when she lost her life in a car accident just six months later.
Before marrying my grandfather, she was a widow and had a son, who was now 15 and left alone after his mom's sudden demise. Suddenly, he inherited everything. My mom and her brothers and sisters had to attend an auction at the house they grew up in, trying to buy back their family heirlooms and cherished mementos with whatever money they had. To be honest, they also sneakily took some items they couldn’t afford.
13. Cheerleading Charity Thief
A relative of mine has a history of taking money from charities. During her teen years, she was wild and completely unrestrained. Though she was extremely popular, she was pampered by her mother. Her parents were divorced, and whenever her dad tried to lay down the rules, her mom would threaten to destroy his reputation with falsehoods if he persisted. In her teen years, while serving as the head cheerleader, she terminated several pregnancies to avoid "embarrassing" her mom.
For 50 years, she's never really worked an honest day. Her first marriage, which had a lavish tens of thousands of dollars wedding in the '80s, dissolved after a few years because she refused to work and assist her husband in paying the bills from her shopping sprees. Her second marriage concluded with her husband’s demise. While he was sick, she organized charity events to fund research, but the money never made it to the intended charities.
After her second husband passed, she quickly tied the knot again. That's when things went from bad to downright horrible. Her new husband was remarkably health-conscious, but he suddenly fell ill with an unidentified disease that affected his kidneys and heart. More fundraisers ensued. Once he recovered, he high-tailed it out of there. We're pretty sure that he realized she had been slowly giving him harmful substances.
14. An Old Grudge
I'm a lawyer in a cozy little town, mainly dealing with things like estate planning and other lawful matters often involving older folks. I’ve been working with a client who took his ex-wife to court because she didn’t sell their house like she was supposed to after they split. The judge found her in contempt and asked my client how he wanted to handle it. His payback was so harsh it's crazy. He chose to have his nearly 80-year-old ex-wife sent to penal institution.
Additionally, this client has hidden something valuable on his property to leave for his grandchildren after his time comes. In my desk, there’s a sealed letter from him that I’m paid quite handsomely each month to safeguard. It's to be handed over to his grandson once he's no longer with us.
15. Happy To Be Alive
My mom is part of a big family and has an identical twin, making them the family “stars” for a while because everyone is always fascinated by twins. My mom and her twin had me and my cousin with only six weeks between our births. To keep things simple, they are the second youngest in a family of seven kids.
The youngest sibling, Aunt Anne, is quite a bit younger than my mom and was around 18 when this story happened. One day, when my cousin and I were just toddlers, my mom and her twin left us in Aunt Anne’s care while going for a doctor's visit. The following events are ingrained in my memory.
Aunt Anne, emerging from the kitchen, offered us cookies. We eagerly said yes. She returned shortly, hands concealed behind her back. Suddenly, she yanked my cousin down, smothered his head with a plastic grocery bag, and began to suffocate him. Scared but reacting, I started hitting her with my tiny hands.
She released my cousin and did the same thing to me. As I kicked and struggled beneath the bag, unable to breathe and gripped by terror, I accidentally wet myself. Oddly enough, I’m grateful for that accident because it made her release me.
Angry about her wet pants, she dragged us to the bathroom, locking us inside. Soon after, my mother and her twin returned home. Aunt Anne lied, saying we had locked ourselves in and played in the sink all day. The real story stayed a secret between my cousin and me.
We were never left alone with Aunt Anne again and eventually moved to a different state. The reason behind her horrifying actions remains unknown, but the memory still unsettles me as an adult. I'm just grateful we're both still here today.
16. Tears Of Joy
I work at an insurance company and one day, a woman walked in just after attending her mother’s funeral, clutching some papers from our company. She looked completely exhausted, and while she thought she might have a bill to deal with, she was mainly there to inform us of her mother's passing. As I began the process of looking up the policy to close it out, we chatted a bit.
She opened up about the past few years, explaining how her mom had descended into dementia, and how she’d been caring for her all by herself. Her deep fatigue was mixed with the palpable loss of someone she deeply cared for. As we talked, I noticed the documents in her hand and realized something shocking. It wasn’t a health policy she was holding; it was a life insurance policy, with the daughter named as the beneficiary to the tune of $50k.
When I shared this with her, tears filled her eyes. My own eyes welled up too, and I stood up to embrace her, holding her as she cried. Pulling back after a moment, she said, “I don’t know why she left this. Everything’s already been paid for". I suggested, "Maybe this is her way of telling you to take a vacation and just unwind for a bit". It was such a heartfelt moment, especially since she had no clue that the policy even existed.
17. Haiti Datey
My sister's boyfriend had a dream to put his architecture skills to use in a meaningful way. So, he told us he was giving his job two-weeks notice and moving to Haiti to assist in rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. They decided to maintain their relationship. With spotty phone service, they stayed connected mainly through emails. He would send her lengthy messages, sharing photos and stories of his experiences and the work they were doing there.
This situation continued for several months until unexpectedly, the truth came to light. A casual hint from a co-worker and a week of detective work later revealed he never went to Haiti. In reality, he moved to Seattle to join his fiancée, with whom he'd been in a relationship for nine years. My sister was utterly stunned by this revelation, and honestly, so were the rest of us.
18. A Hot Mess Of Family Secrets
A couple of nights ago, my dad shared a deep family secret with me that's been haunting my thoughts ever since, and I'm unable to discuss it with any other family members. It's potentially explosive for our family.
So here’s the story: my grandma, the eldest of 10, was brought up by my great-grandma, a woman with a serious gambling habit and a somewhat chaotic personal life, including two marriages and multiple partners. She’d often disappear for weeks, leaving her children to look after themselves, sometimes returning pregnant. Growing up in Detroit's impoverished areas, my grandma somehow managed to raise herself. She met my granddad in the late ‘60s, got married, and had my dad and my aunt. However, granddad ended up being involved in questionable activities and was eventually out of the picture.
Then came Harold, my grandma’s second husband, in the late ‘70s, when dad was about 10 and aunt Victoria was 8. Together, grandma and Harold had my dad's half-brother, Harry. Here’s where it gets especially murky: teenage Victoria started a secret relationship with her stepdad, Harold.
When my grandma discovered their affair years later, she divorced Harold instantly, and Victoria was ostracized from our family. I didn’t even know about Victoria and her three sons until I was 10, when she and my grandma reconciled after more than a decade of silence. Victoria, despite a stormy relationship with her present husband, remains married to him. But that relationship might not survive what’s coming.
It turns out that Victoria’s eldest, Carl, is Harold’s son. That is, she unknowingly had a child with her stepdad. Yet, the even darker part? My dad was the sole keeper of this secret. Carl is unaware of the truth, living under the belief that he is named after his “dad” with whom he shares a name: Big Carl and Little Carl.
Harold passed in 2011. As I've matured, my dad, normally a very private and drama-averse person, has begun confiding in me about these dark family secrets. He despises family drama, often distancing himself from the bulk of our large, chaotic family, and preferring a peaceful, solitary life. So, I have every reason to believe his revelations are true.
The shock still lingers. Comparing pictures of Little Carl and Harold, the similarities – in their faces, stature, and hair – are startling and undeniable. Even as a child, meeting them for the first time, I recall observing that Carl bore no resemblance to his presumed “dad”.
I can only imagine what it's been like for my dad, keeping this secret for so long. Little Carl, tragically, never knew his biological father, Harold, nor his half-brothers, and unfortunately carries the genes of both of my grandma’s poor choice in husbands. Surprisingly, Little Carl turned out to be quiet, kind, hard-working, and holds immense love and respect for our grandma.
The guilt of knowing this, while Little Carl doesn’t, weighs heavily on me. I’m certain it's not my place to tell him, and I can't predict his reaction or the fallout it might cause within their family. They likely know about their mom’s relationship with her stepdad, given it’s why she was estranged from their grandma for so many years. But this revelation would undoubtedly be a devastating hit.
In an additional dark twist, my dad informed me that Alex, the youngest brother who is significantly younger than Carl and Rico, is actually the son of Big Carl’s younger brother. Now only my aunt, my dad, and I are privy to this information. It's painful, knowing my cousins will possibly never uncover the truth about their complex family history.
19. A Real Character
My buddy, who works as a magistrate, recently shared a wild story about a guy who came before the court for attacking an officer. They all watched a video of the incident where the guy was screaming various things at the authorities. When it was his turn to explain his actions to the court, he started to fake speaking a different language. His lawyer, a bit embarrassed, said, "Apologies to the court, my client does speak English; he's just being foolish".
After that first scheme, he switched gears, pretending he was deaf and mute, and began doing hand gestures, acting like it was sign language while shaking his head and pointing to his mouth. Again, his lawyer interjected: "My apologies once more, he is neither deaf nor mute, just making poor decisions".
My friend, keeping it professional, told him, "Please have a seat". And without missing a beat, he replied, "Yeah, no problem, luv".
Unsplash
20. Sloppy Seconds
Me and my co-workers caught our department head making out with a young intern at a work event, and it was pretty cringeworthy. What made it even crazier is that this guy is in his mid-40s, married with two kids. The kicker? A week later, he asked me to interview the same intern for a job at our company, even though her background didn't match the position at all. It was just plain bizarre.
21. A Shocking Turn Of Events
The most peculiar and embarrassing will reading took place in a room filled with relatives. A relatively young man had passed, leaving his substantial wealth, including money and property, solely to his 26-year-old stepdaughter. Surprisingly, this left his two ex-wives, his children from his first marriage, as well as his siblings, nieces, nephews, and others with nothing.
What made this will reading truly unusual was the stipulation that a DVD should be played to explain why the stepdaughter was the sole beneficiary. Like everyone else present, I expected the deceased to use this moment to deliver a final "screw you" to the rest of the family. However, what followed was entirely unexpected.
The video on the DVD began abruptly with the stepdaughter and the man engaging in a rather intimate encounter, which was quite audibly passionate. It was evident that the video had been edited to start with maximum shock value, and it undeniably succeeded, as it took me about 30 seconds to regain enough composure to turn it off. It was unquestionably the most astonishing moment of my career.
I later learned, although I cannot personally confirm this, that the DVD contained multiple clips from various moments throughout their relationship. Toward the end of the DVD, the man explained that his stepdaughter was inheriting everything because, in his words, she had been "the best partner he ever had".
To make matters worse, the will specified that I should provide each family member with their own copy of the DVD. Copies had already been prepared and distributed before the DVD was played, so everyone had "The Best Moments Of" in their hands as the video played.
In the aftermath, the family attempted to sue but ultimately lost the case. Incredibly, the stepdaughter retained everything she had inherited.
22. The Family Tangled Ball Of Yarn
I used to work alongside a guy in his early 20s, and the story begins when he was preparing for his family's first major international trip. He was incredibly excited about it, and we got to hear all the details of their upcoming adventure. He talked about where they were staying and what activities they had planned. He was gearing up for the trip of a lifetime.
However, there was one important thing he needed for the journey: a passport. Unfortunately, his original birth certificate had gone missing. When the replacement certificate finally arrived, it unveiled a dark family secret. The woman he had always called "mom" was not actually his mother; she was his sister. It turned out that "Sister" had given birth to him when she was very young, and their grandparents had stepped in to raise him as their own son.
Shockingly, nobody had ever revealed the truth to him. So, in reality, "Sister" was his biological mother, and "Mom and Dad" were actually his grandparents. The identity of his real father remained unknown. He took a few days off work to process this revelation but still went on the trip as planned, and from what I heard, he had a fantastic time.
23. Teenagers, Am I Right?
When I was 18, I was hanging out with two good friends at a Steak n' Shake. One of our friends seemed really down and wanted to share some news with us. We placed our orders, but just as he was about to tell us, the table next to us started making a lot of noise and being disrespectful. I decided to confront them, but they responded with insults like, "Shut up, fatty," and other rude comments.
Thinking of myself as a bit of an "18-year-old Alpha," I started arguing back, which only made the situation worse. The manager had to come out, and we got scolded like a bunch of little kids. Eventually, we were even asked to leave the restaurant. But here's the kicker: I used to be a rebellious smoker, so I jokingly said to my friends, "Hey guys, I'm going to get some cancer; I'll be back".
That's when our depressed friend broke down in tears and revealed his story: His dad had just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It was a wake-up call for me, and I haven't touched a smoke in six years.
24. Big Hearts, Bigger Stomachs
I work as a lawyer, and I recently had a case that left me quite frustrated. My client's story was painfully unbelievable. He had been in a minor car accident and claimed he was too injured to drive or work in the office. He even said that his employer had fired him after almost a year of disability leave. These were some significant claims.
A few months after we filed the case, we discovered something that seriously undermined his credibility. There was video footage of him playing in a national amateur full-contact football league during the time he said he was too injured to sit at a desk. The footage showed him getting tackled, celebrating in the endzone, and making tackles himself. When I confronted him with this evidence, he still insisted that he hadn't played while he was injured, despite the clear stats and footage of him playing on days when he was supposed to be in physical therapy.
In the end, we didn't settle for as much as my other cases, but he still walked away with about $20,000. I usually enjoy being a plaintiff's attorney because my clients are usually genuinely wronged, but dealing with such a blatant liar was incredibly frustrating.
25. That’s Definitely To Go
A while back, I was casually browsing some questionable personal ads out of boredom, and I stumbled upon something I definitely wasn't expecting. It was a profile belonging to my Starbucks manager. Not only did I recognize his face, but I could also see his distinctive tattoos, leaving no doubt it was him.
To my surprise, he was offering services to both men and women, with prices starting at $100. I decided to keep this discovery to myself, but I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable about knowing more about him than I ever wanted to.
26. Stifler’s Mom Strikes Again
When my brother was 18, my friend's mom used to give him a ride to work. Then, one day, things took a strange turn. While driving, she began behaving inappropriately. Surprisingly, my brother, being a naive 18-year-old, went along with it, and they pulled over and...you know what happened. This continued for a while, but it ended in a super freaky way.
She became obsessed with him, to the point where he had to block her on all social media and essentially cut off contact with her. To make matters more complicated, her husband is a large and intimidating guy who owns a pub, and her son is a lifelong friend of mine. None of them are aware of what transpired. It's quite strange to carry such a weighty secret.
27. Sister Act
My friend had recently begun dating a girl and they quickly got it on. But during that time, he made a big mistake by doing it with her sister one night. It was definitely a lapse in judgment, and now he's married to the first girl. Surprisingly, his wife has no clue that he was once involved with her own sister. It's safe to say he probably never expected to end up marrying her.
28. One Step Away From Disaster
Some time ago, my mom shared a family secret with me. She revealed that my stepfather isn't the biological father of my stepsister. What's even more surprising is that my stepfather is aware of this fact. He discovered it when my stepsister had some blood work done as a baby, which revealed her blood type as O-negative. This didn't match his blood type.
He confronted my now ex-stepmother about it, and she confessed that my stepsister was the result of an affair, a one-time thing. She emphasized that my stepfather had raised her as his own and that it shouldn't change anything. I've decided never to tell my stepsister about this. It's not my secret to reveal. In my eyes, my stepfather is her true father, as he has played a vital role in shaping her into the smart, kind, and hardworking person she is today. Blood relation or not, he's an incredible man, and I consider him "one of my dads" as well.
29. He Just Really Loves Golf
My girlfriend's grandfather moved to my country from the US when he was younger. He's currently in a relationship with a woman here who happens to be the mother of a very prominent political figure in my country. This political figure is a strong candidate for our next prime minister.
However, there's a massive secret that her grandfather is carrying, one that he can't share with anyone. You see, he has another family back in the U.S. He frequently travels back and forth between my country and the states, supposedly to visit his "family" and enjoy a round of "golf". But the woman he's dating in my country has no knowledge of his other family.
Interestingly, the family living in the US is aware of the situation, but the woman in my country is quite religious and might not approve of this double life..
30. Daddy’s Little Secrets
I work for a small, well-established firm in Texas, and I'm part of a team of attorneys who specialize in estate planning and wills. Our client in this case was a doctor who, unfortunately, passed. While he wasn't extremely wealthy, his estate was valued at around $2,000,000. We typically handle a variety of cases, including more substantial ones.
This doctor had five children and an ex-wife. After divorcing his wife years ago, he openly came out as gay and started living with his partner. In his will, he designated his partner as the recipient of his house and assets. Naturally, his children contested this arrangement, leading to a mediation process.
Here's where it gets a bit unconventional: during the mediation, the deceased doctor's partner actually requested a paternity test to determine if the children were biologically related to their late father, questioning their claims to the estate. And well...
After some lawful maneuvering, the results revealed that none of the five kids were biologically related to the deceased father. As a result, his partner was granted the entire estate, and the children didn't have any lawful claim to it.
31. Family Affairs
Two of my friends had a falling out, and I was eager to find out what was causing all the drama. They lived together, and it felt like I was witnessing a parental divorce. One friend was always absent, while the other told me he had no idea what was happening. After a few months, I finally had a chance to chat one-on-one with the friend who had been missing, and he spilled all the details.
Here's the scoop: He had asked the other friend for permission to date his cousin, but the response was a resounding NO. However, since the other friend had previously dated his cousin without asking, he felt the bro-code had been violated and went ahead with the relationship. As they started dating, he discovered something shocking about this girl – she and the other friend were more than just cousins. They had been intimately involved for years, basically sneaking around whenever the family wasn't looking.
But wait, it gets worse. He learned that this secret relationship had been going on for a mind-boggling 10 years. The girl was 22, and her cousin was 24. They had been involved since middle school. And to make matters even more complicated, the girl's father and her cousin's father are identical twins. Let that sink in – genetically, they're actually half-siblings.
At that point in the story, I quickly finished my drink and apologized for prying into their business. I truly wished I had never found out. As a follow-up, they no longer live together or communicate with each other. I'm still very close with the other friend, but when I run into the friend with the unusual family situation, it's hard to look him in the eye.
32. Half His Age
My best friend shared some shocking news with me. It turns out that my cousin, who's in his 40s, had an affair with a 20-year-old girl. What's more, this young woman happens to be one of my friend's friends. To complicate matters further, my cousin is engaged and has three kids with his fiancée. I come from a small town, so if I were to reveal this secret, it would not only devastate their lives but also become common knowledge for everyone. To make things even more delicate, my cousin's mother comes from a prominent family in our community, so this situation could turn into a real disaster.
33. Still Jamming?
I met a guy at my local 24-Hour Fitness who was rocking a Shark Punch shirt. Given that not many people know about that band, I decided to strike up a conversation with him about our shared love for metal music. Turns out, he's a drummer, lives nearby, and is eager to start playing some heavy tunes.
We exchanged numbers, all excited about the prospect of jamming together. However, finding reliable musicians can be a challenge, despite our initial enthusiasm. Around the same time, I was working security at a local bar and met a random girl who wasn't from our area but took an interest in me and wanted to hang out.
We swapped numbers and made plans to meet up. When we finally did, we hit it off quite well. She mentioned that she was still casually dating others but really liked me and hoped I was okay with that. I was totally fine with it because I was doing the same thing. We hung out once more, but soon after, I got the "sorry, but I'm getting serious with this other guy" talk. I understood and moved on.
When the gym guy and I finally managed to meet up for a jam session, one of his friends was there to play bass with us. We got introduced and started chatting about various topics. Gym guy happened to mention the girl he was dating, and as we shared our preferences in the people we date, I asked to see what she looked like.
He said, "Sorry, dude, she doesn't use social media or anything, but I have a video of her from a restaurant we went to a few weeks ago". He showed me the video, and I thought she was cute. He mentioned they had met outside a bar in LA. I said, "She totally reminds me of a girl I was seeing not long ago. What's her name?"
He said, "Kim". I was taken aback and said, "Wait, seriously? I was dating a girl named Kim too. What are the odds? Hold on, she's on Snapchat, right?" I started trying to find her on Snapchat, and he confirmed it. His friend couldn't contain his laughter as we both realized that we were the same guys she had left or stayed with at different times. Despite the unexpected revelation, we still went ahead with our jam session and had a great time.
34. It’s A Gay World After All
I have a close friend who's Indian and gay, and she's well aware that her family wouldn't approve of her sexuality. What's even more surprising is that she's on the verge of an arranged marriage, and her future husband happens to be gay too. Neither of their families has a clue about this, and they're both eagerly looking forward to the upcoming wedding. To add to the twist, the groom's boyfriend is even part of the wedding party.
Both of them are fully dedicated to keeping this secret under wraps. In fact, they have future plans to have children through IVF while maintaining the facade.
35. Lies Heaped Upon More Lies
My former boss is quite a manipulative person, often leaving out important information when he talks or deals with things. One of his common tricks is evading taxes by depositing payments from roofing jobs into his personal bank account, avoiding any record of the transactions. He even goes the extra mile by deleting invoices, although the invoice numbers follow a clear sequence.
To be honest, if someone were to audit his financial records, his deceptive actions would be easily uncovered. But the most disturbing thing he's done goes beyond these lies. He was once involved with an young girl when he was in his late 20s, and he lied about his age to her for years. He also kept his fiancée (with whom he now has a child) in the dark about many aspects of his life.
I could potentially bring his business down with just a few phone calls: one to the union, another to his insurance company, a third to the tax authorities, and a fourth to his competitors, exposing his lack of safety measures. I could also disrupt his personal life by revealing his secrets to his partner and son. They certainly don't deserve the turmoil he's causing in their lives.
36. The Truth Will Drive Her Crazy
My boss and his wife are working really hard to save up for a house. They're putting every extra dollar they have into a savings account, hoping to gather enough for a down payment. Their dedication to saving is quite remarkable. However, there's a big secret his wife doesn't know. While they were diligently saving, my boss had an affair and, during that time, he even bought a car for his mistress.
37. A Flurry Of Furry
One day, I was looking on my friend’s computer for some old Call of Duty videos that he and I made in like 2009. I was just searching the old Gamertags, trying to figure out where they were when a page popped on his computer. It was for one of those creepy websites. I was really surprised. It had all his basic information on it, with an up-to-date age and everything.
I looked around the page and found a picture from his room that I recognized. I know I shouldn’t have, but I opened the page. What I saw totally shocked me. Turns out, my buddy is a furry—like a massive, full-on furry—and I had no idea. The page had almost eight years of daily uploads and interactions on it. I haven't told anyone.
I’m not going to be the guy that threatens him or tells our other friends because he's not hurting anyone. But I'm also not going to tell him that I know, because that would be mad awkward. I'm terrified I'm going to let it slip one day during a drinking binge. Yikes!
38. What Money?
I represented this construction worker in a divorce. The wife stayed at home with the kids and had no money. Through entire divorce her attorney claimed that my client was hiding money. They had no evidence and the client vehemently denied it. We had a good settlement in the case and I considered it done. When the client came in a few weeks later to pick his file, he thanked me for my work and said, “And she never did find the money I hid!” He had a big laugh and walked away.
39. Mission Not Impossible
I went to bed with my Mormon boyfriend before he went on his mission. Okay, that's bad, but then I discovered his worst secret. Later on, I found out he was already engaged to another woman—he didn't think it was particularly important to tell me that he'd found a Mormon fiancée in another town already. Obviously, this is a big no-no in the Mormon church.
40. Terrible Tattoo Trauma
My mom is the most strait-laced, uptight person you can imagine. She works very high-level financial jobs for the government, so her personality may have something to do with that. If you looked up "professional woman" in the dictionary, it would probably just be a picture of her. But there's something no one else knows about her and it's totally mind-boggling.
She has a tattoo on the back of her leg of a bear with male "appendages" instead of legs. She wears tights or pants to cover it all the time, and as far as I know, I'm the only person who knows about it. She was a very wild teenager back in the day and on one fateful night, she met up with an "aspiring tattoo artist" in a hotel room. That's where she got the tattoo done.
The guy got a little too creative during the session and she ended up with that odd interpretation of a bear. It is so vulgar that if anyone saw it, I think there's a good chance she'd lose her job (or at least have some serious explaining to do). I once asked her why she doesn't get it removed and she says it's the "symbol to her stupid youth".
41. He Was Just One Step Away
Growing up, my parents divorced and I got a stepdad, who used to be our next-door neighbor. When I grew up, I found out the truth. In reality, my mom had a secret affair with my stepdad while she was still married to my dad and he was just a neighbor. My dad got inebriated once and spilled the beans to me. This all happened when I was three years old and I’m in my 40s now.
42. He Depends On Depends
A popular guy in my high school has been hiding a huge secret, and I know what it is. It would spread like wildfire if I exposed him. You see, even though he’s in high school, he wears diapers because he still wets the bed. He doesn't know I know and that's the way I'll keep it.
43. It Was Thong-Tastic
This girl I know had a husband who was deployed overseas. For Valentine's Day, she put together a special box of goodies and sent it to him. Along with the usual stuff, she sent one of her thongs as a sexy teaser since they hadn’t been together for a long time. The husband decided to tie the thong onto the stuffed animal she gave him.
The next day, the guy noticed something weird. The thong, which was tied really well onto the stuffed animal, was missing. A couple of days went by and came across the thong in the most unexpected place—it was in his buddy’s bed, next to his. It turned out, his buddy was using it for his own “private pleasure”...if you know what I mean. Here's the real kicker: The guy is his best friend. Their wives are best friends. If they ever found out...
44. Paging Dr. Sleazebag
After I graduated from college, I worked in a hospital. While there, I discovered a shocking truth about some of my coworkers. A group of young male doctors pitched in to rent an apartment that they used as their spot for cheating on their wives with their side pieces. They seemed like such nice, normal guys too, not sleazebags. I would have never guessed.
45. Knives Out
Granny was a sweet old lady, relatively healthy but had some trouble getting around and taking care of herself. Her family was the typical greedy and money-hungry scenario, only calling when they wanted something. They stuck her in a nursing home and moved far away. To everyone's knowledge, Granny had very little money, but she still owned her property; a small house her best friend (my great aunt) took care of, and her car—a customized classic VW Bug.
The nursing home had volunteers, people to come and talk to the residents, play board games with them, basically keep them occupied. Granny's favorite was a newer volunteer, a 19-year-old girl whom I'll refer to as V. I only met her a handful of times, but V was a very soft-spoken and kind girl. V was the only volunteer Granny liked, because they had many things in common, one of those things being their mutual love for a specific kind of car...hint hint.
Over the next year and a half, V continued to volunteer about twice a week. Soon, Granny started to get sick, her health started to rapidly decline. Did her family come to see her? Nope. Until her last days, she only had V and my great aunt. Granny passed. Some of her family came to the funeral, but pretty much everyone only cared about the will.
My great aunt said that the only ones who seemed sad at the funeral were herself, V, and a few of Granny's old friends. When it came time to read the will, there was a big shock. It turned out Granny had a decent amount of money stashed away—about $100,000. The family was in the dark, only my great aunt knew about it. A very small amount of that was split up and given to select family members.
But the rest was divided and given to my great aunt and V. V was in complete shock. The family was mad. A few other things were given to family, select items that didn't hold a whole lot of value. But it was about to get worse. The car I mentioned earlier, the classic VW Bug? Granny's teenage granddaughter had her eyes on that car since Granny was put in the nursing home!
Everyone expected her to get it once Granny passed. That didn't happen. Granny left it to V. If the family was mad about the money, they were FURIOUS about this car. Poor V cried her eyes out and said she had to leave the room. She told my great aunt, "I can't accept it. I'm not family, that car should be yours". And my great aunt spent over an hour and a half convincing her that Granny wanted her to have it.
Some family members followed V outside and started screaming at her, intimidating to sue her, claiming it was part of a "plan" that V must have created (What? Befriend a lonely old woman and take her fortune?), telling her she didn't deserve any of what she got, and calling her awful things. One of the calmer relatives got things settled down and my great aunt got V out of there.
It's been a few years. My great aunt and V still talk, and V still has Granny's bug. As far as I know, after the reading of the will was over V got a lot of nasty messages online but was otherwise fine. One of the family members did contact a lawyer but they must have told them there was nothing that could be done since V never actually got sued or anything.
46. There Are Witnesses
I know a guy who did something pretty awful a week before his wedding. It was during his bachelor party, and I think his girlfriend might have been out of town at the time. I was acquainted with the whole group but wasn't part of the bachelor party itself. They showed up at the bar where I worked, and half of them were so intoxicated they could hardly walk.
Sometime during the night, the groom left with a woman we all referred to as "Nasty Amanda". I overheard him tell his friends, "I'm taking her to my place," as if it were some kind of accomplishment. This guy has always been a self-centered troublemaker in the 20 years I've known him. There have been moments when I considered telling his wife, and I'm not the only one who's aware of this incident.
After leaving the bar, most of the bachelor party returned to his house. There were witnesses to what happened as well.
47. Not Forgiving, Not Forgetting
About eight years ago, my ex and I split and had a really bad fight. It got so out of hand that he physically hurt me. Now, he’s married, doing well in his career, and living in a large home with his wife and little son. I wonder if it ever crosses his mind. The campus officers didn’t really help much back then.
I’ve moved on since that time, but I’ll never forgive or forget. I’ve put a lot of distance between that place, him, and me—1,900 miles to be exact.
48. Number Two, Meet Number One
I once dated a girl for a year after meeting her on Plenty of Fish. She only lived six minutes away, so we saw each other a lot. We were both pretty introverted, mostly hanging out just the two of us, and we took our relationship seriously and were exclusive. However, from early on, I noticed she texted this one guy often.
When I asked, she said he was her tattoo artist. I got a bit snoopy, checked the tattoo shop’s website, and although a guy with the same first name worked there, the last names didn’t match. When I asked her about it, she accused me of being paranoid and assured me there was no need to lie.
I let it go, but five months later, curiosity struck again. I found two Facebook profiles - one of a tattoo artist and another one with the same name she used for her 'artist' but with no details. I asked her about it again and, although she got angry, I apologized after she reassured me.
About a year in, curiosity got me again and I found her on Plenty of Fish, despite us both deleting our profiles when we got serious. So, I catfished her, discovered it was indeed her, and decided to confront her the next day. But first, I messaged that mysterious Facebook profile.
Plot twist - he responds immediately. Turns out, he’s her other boyfriend, and she met him two months before me. She’d been seeing us both, separately, for a whole year, always having an excuse when she was with the other. We were both being played - whenever he saw my name, she said I was her tattoo artist.
Anyway, we both dumped her the next morning and met up for a drink the following day. Haven’t talked to him since.
49. Confidential Primary Caregiver
I know my neighbor is secretly seeing his son's elementary school teacher. He's being unfaithful to his wife, and she's doing the same to her husband. This has been going on for about four months. Living in a tight-knit community, I often wonder: How many lives could I ruin with this information?
50. Breaking Ribs And Making Bonds
Here's a favorite story about my grandma when she was young, working at a small bakery in Australia during the conflict. American service men, getting ready to deploy, were stationed in her town. One day, a soldier from NYC, with a heavy accent, tried ordering something off-menu.
Grandma couldn’t understand him and, despite her embarrassment, she kept trying to help. The soldier got rude, cursed, and insulted her, the bakery, and even the town. My petite, but mighty grandma didn’t hesitate—she walked around the counter and punched him hard in the chest, knocking him over and supposedly breaking a rib.
His buddies helped him back to base and told their Commanding Officer (CO) the story. Worried about souring relations with the locals, the CO grabbed the nearest soldier, who was from Illinois, and, noticing no accent, sent him to apologize to my grandma on behalf of the army.
He did so wonderfully, and after the conflict, he returned to the town, married my grandma, and they lived their own happily ever after. They eventually moved to the States, but grandma firmly refused to ever visit NYC.
51. Skip To The Good Part
A few years back, I went to a friend's engagement party, which was a big celebration since they planned a tiny destination wedding. Later on, my friend's fiancé grabbed the mic, apologizing that Jen was delayed due to a "wardrobe malfunction" and shared a bit about how they met and decided to get engaged, mentioning, "We wish we could marry right now, with all of you here. So, we will". Then, Jen appeared in her wedding dress. The party erupted in cheers. It was a truly wonderful moment and an amazing night.
52. Baby Auntie
A while back, my friend unexpectedly got pregnant and considered termination, but there was a big reason she didn’t. Her sister and brother-in-law, struggling with infertility, had been trying to start a family for years. So, she decided to have the baby, and they agreed to adopt it. The kid, who turns 16 today, doesn’t know his aunt is actually his biological mom, but he’s cherished and joyful nonetheless.
53. Never Forget Your Disinheritance
Some years ago, I worked at a retirement community and met an intriguing older man. He’d come out as gay later in life and moved into the community with his partner. A Korea conflict veteran, he was decorated with numerous honors and medals. He could be quite gruff, but he also had his softer moments and would share captivating stories.
Despite being there for over three years, his children never visited him. When he had a heart attack and sensed his time was coming, they finally showed up, but insisted his partner wasn’t around during their visits. In his will, he left everything to his partner and the partner's child from a previous marriage, accompanying it with a poignant note calling out his children's hypocrisy and their disdain for his partner.
But he didn’t stop there. He left each of his two kids a pail of coal ash, deducted from his estate, and ensured his estate paid for his partner’s burial plot right next to his and his wife's. He wanted to remind his kids, should they ever visit his grave, why they didn't come around when he was alive. It was admittedly quite something hearing his kids’ furious reactions.
54. Like A Virgin
A coworker once boasted at work about losing his virginity during his bachelor party - and not with his future wife, who's oblivious to this. The deception goes even deeper. She believes they both waited until their wedding night to lose their virginities together, something that's extremely important to her. If she ever discovers the truth, their marriage would probably crumble.
55. That’s Cheating
I used to be a Starbucks barista before putting "names on cups" became a widespread thing, at least in our little shop. A really cute guy used to drop by, maybe 4-6 times a week. I flirted a lot. He flirted back. Everything was awesome. Then, one day he walked in with his fiancé. Feeling betrayed, I was chilly toward him from that point forward. But, I got it all wrong.
A month later, the two of them walked in together, and it turned out that he—well, they—were twins. I'd unknowingly ruined any shot with the single one.
56. You Are Not The Son
When I was 19, I stumbled upon my adoption papers in our family's safe, even though I’d been raised believing my parents were my biological ones. It turned out, my parents intended for me to find them. Specifically, I found a certificate showing that my dad was my adoptive parent. My mom was indeed my biological mom, which explained why I had newborn photos with her at the hospital, and why I never suspected anything different.
They conceived me using a sperm donor. I’d always been curious about why I didn’t resemble my dad at all, while I was practically my mom’s twin. As I grew up looking so much like her, it was a big relief to my mom since the ENTIRE FAMILY, a robust, chatty Irish clan, knew the secret except for me. It's truly surprising they never let it slip.
My parents initially didn’t plan to tell me but opted to for the sake of accurate medical history, pointing out that I didn’t inherit my dad's heart disease risk. When they told me, my dad teared up, anxious I’d feel our shared history was fabricated or that my love for him would change. I assured him with a laugh that he was, and always would be, my dad. It brought us even closer.
Plus, it clarified various childhood puzzles like why I didn’t resemble him, or why my parents had severe vision issues and I didn’t, among other things.
57. A Vow Of Silence
I often ponder whether my cousin has ever figured out that her mom wasn’t her biological parent. The truth is mind-blowing. She was actually born from an affair between her dad and their house cleaner. Now, at 42 with children of her own and her mother having passed years ago, only a handful of us in the family know the real story. We all made a promise to her biological mom to keep this secret from her.
58. Big Dog Barks His Last
I used to work at a bank's call center as a workforce administrator. We had this supervisor who always seemed to have a really high turnover of staff. Employees would be doing fine, then all of a sudden, their performance would tank, and they'd resign. One guy, when he quit, made a huge scene, calling the supervisor out, insulting and even shoving him, until other coworkers had to hold him back.
During the HR meeting, the supervisor railed on him, listing all his mistakes and kind of bragging about how he had to correct them all. The guy quitting just sat there silently the whole time, staring at anyone who spoke to him. When asked if he had anything to add, he pulled out a bunch of tape recordings. What was on them was shocking.
He played back multiple recordings of the supervisor intimidating and harassing him, really just being awful. Apparently, the supervisor targeted high-performing agents, making their work lives miserable to secure his own job. When they told the supervisor he was fired, he just stared at his feet and nodded. The quitting guy was also let go but received a pretty nice compensation package, from what I heard.
59. Gave Up Three Years For Threesomes
My friend's been sneaking around on his girlfriend of three years—with another man! His whole world could crumble if she finds out because they work and live together, and she's also his boss. If the truth comes out, he might end up without a job and a place to live. It feels like it's only a matter of time before this risky business catches up to him.
60. Coming To A Family Agreement
For 15 years, a big French farming family was in a fierce battle over their parents' property. Their ongoing feud used every means and asset possible—debts, treasures, barns, land, cows, wills, you name it. It was a back-and-forth of victories and failures, compromises, and letdowns, and the family was being ripped apart by it. Then, a weird yet genius solution surfaced.
One family member proposed they haul everything into the farm courtyard, douse it with petrol, and just burn it all. Remarkably, everyone was on board.
Alexander Sorokopud, Shutterstock
61. Special Delivery
One winter day in my high school English class, a guy shared that he was late because someone smashed his mailbox. He had to repair it before heading to school, missed his ride, and ended up walking. The school staff understood and didn’t penalize him. The mystery unfolded pretty quickly.
Shortly after, a girl walked into the class, complaining about her terrible morning because she’d slid down a hill, hit a mailbox, and, panicking, fled the scene, describing the house details as she spoke. The guy instantly connected the dots, exclaiming, "You hit MY mailbox!"
He wasn’t really angry, and she turned a deep shade of red; their reactions were hilariously memorable at the moment.
62. Wiki-Lie
A buddy of mine at work sneakily altered the Wikipedia article of a popular upcoming martial arts movie, swapping in incorrect character names. Remarkably, the company creating the promotional posters relied on Wikipedia for their information, resulting in all the posters having the wrong names on them. I'm the only one who knows he's behind the mishap.
63. Played Yourself
In 1991, at age 19, I signed the lease for my first apartment and received the first paycheck from my new job. I deposited the paycheck via an ATM - another new experience since I’d always done it in person at the bank. Two weeks later, I was horrified to see my bank statement showing only $1.87 when it should've been around $200. I nearly bounced my first rent check!
As I was about to call the bank, the authorities called me, asking if my ATM card was stolen. I checked and, indeed, it was missing. They told me they had my card and the $200 and asked me to come to the station. I was puzzled - how could they have both?
When I got there, the detective explained that a man (let’s call him Bob) saw someone behaving suspiciously at an ATM, moving back and forth, perhaps dodging the camera. This person left abruptly, driving away quickly. Bob then used the ATM, his card popped out, he withdrew $200, and then my card popped out. Realizing he’d taken my money, Bob brought my card and the cash to the authorities and reported the incident.
The detective described the suspicious man: 5’7”, brown hair, round gold-rimmed glasses. To my shock, Bob was describing me. My inexperienced ATM use and absent-mindedness in leaving my card were mistaken for thievery. I zoomed away simply because that’s how I drove at 19.
I didn’t admit to the detective that I was the “crook". I just thanked him, took my self-stolen money, and left. To this day, I still have the report where I’m listed as both the victim and the perpetrator tucked away in a box.
64. Baby Hospital Horror
I once worked at a large hospital that heavily relied on its regional fame and prestige. But behind the scenes, things were quite different and the organization was really chaotic. The darkest secret I know from my time there involves them mislabeling a baby's remains. This mistake led to them losing track of it entirely. Only a handful of us are aware of this truth.
65. Liar, Liar…
My sister tied the knot with a huge liar. Within the first six months post-wedding, we discovered several untruths: He hadn’t been a history professor as he'd claimed, and he didn’t own a hurricane-damaged house back in his home country. Additionally, his story about a previous marriage, an unfaithful ex-wife, and having children wasn’t entirely accurate.
He'd been married before, but only for a short time, and the kids weren't his. She had to ask him to leave. Furthermore, his mother was very much alive (which was quite a surprise to both us and my sister), contradicting his claims of being mistreated by his other relatives like cousins. His family’s reluctance to assist or attend the wedding now made sense. It turned out he was a pathological liar, disliked by everyone in his family. Unsurprisingly, my sister and he are now separated.
66. The Car Collection Of Oz
My granddad, a Vietnam vet with PTSD, became more isolated in his later years, often retreating to his bedroom during family visits. My grandma used to share tales about how he once inherited a sizable fortune from his father, which he spent on lavish dates and journeys in their youth and later on their family home post-Vietnam.
Just a few months before he passed, we discovered he’d written a will, unbeknownst to even my grandma. Given his savings were mostly allocated for his care facility due to his worsening PTSD, we thought he wouldn’t have much to leave behind.
However, his will spoke of a warehouse in Township, Michigan, housing a substantial collection of vintage cars, supposedly worth over two million dollars, to be divided among his four kids. This was baffling - none of us, including our dad, had any known connections to Michigan. Nevertheless, after some discussion, Dad and I, having found a gap in our work schedules, decided to travel to Michigan to check out this mystery collection.
After investing a few thousand dollars in travel and accommodation, we found ourselves in front of granddad’s supposed warehouse. Nestled among a group of well-maintained warehouses, it looked quite dilapidated. With anticipation, Dad entered the code, and the large door lifted.
Inside, we found...nothing. Well, nothing but a few homeless individuals who'd found a way in through a rear breach in the metal wall, and certainly no cars. Neighboring warehouse owners confirmed that to their knowledge, nothing and no one had used that space for years.
We're still in the dark about what transpired. Our best guess is that PTSD may have led granddad to construct a fantasy or that perhaps he bought the warehouse as a potential safe haven if he ever needed to leave Plano. We might never know for sure.
67. The Father Failed The Test
When my dad passed, I took a DNA test for a bit of fun and to learn more about his side of the family, which I didn't know much about. But the results threw me a curveball. Instead of learning more about my dad’s lineage, I got a 50% match with a man I’d never seen before - implying he might be my biological father.
I’m stuck now, not having reached out to him or talked to my mom about it. I’m really not sure where to go from here with this information.
68. A Wave Of Relief
I once dated a girl in a city I had just moved away from. For my birthday, I drove back to see her and have dinner together. Throughout the meal, she seemed distant and was continually texting, which was unlike her. The whole vibe made me feel like maybe she was cheating or losing interest in us.
When we finished dinner, she wanted to stop by a mutual friend’s place, which I thought was a bit selfish since it was my birthday. As we walked up to the friend’s apartment, I was mentally preparing to end things with her. That is, until the door opened and - surprise! She had organized a big birthday party for me with a bunch of my old friends, some of whom she hadn’t even met. Her texting and distraction were all about pulling off this surprise. She's truly a wonderful person.
69. Better Late Than Never
Ever since I was 13, I’ve dealt with terrible foot pain whenever I’d walk for over an hour. Working at my church bookstore often meant sitting most of the time because my ankle - and sometimes knee - would swell up. Every picture of me from Disney or Universal shows me in a wheelchair.
For years, doctors couldn’t figure it out. They tossed around diagnoses like juvenile arthritis, an undefined autoimmune disorder, and a ganglion cyst. It wasn't until an MRI that we got our infuriating answer: a partly fused bone in my ankle. One surgery could've fixed it, or at least eased the pain. I wish we had known that sooner...
70. Her Life Is Perfect—Not
I’ve always been seen as the perfect girl – good grades, athletic, even valedictorian. But now, I’m harboring a big secret: I’m failing in school, and nobody knows. I'm slipping behind and struggling to keep up.
I can’t share this with my counselors or teachers because I'm embarrassed...I've been the dependable, smart one and I fear their views changing. Though I’ve always been the "golden child," the expectations are sky-high, and everyone assumes I'll always be on top. My parents, blinded by their belief that I'm always okay, don’t see me sinking".
You’re always so responsible," they say. But I’m not. "We can always rely on you". But you can’t. I’m still a teen, needing guidance, yet too often I’m pulled into being a third parent to my sister, while my parents navigate her issues. Her problems are more pressing than mine, and while she gets all the attention, I can't begrudge her that. She's my world. Still, my struggles feel so solitary.
My friends wouldn’t get it. They see my life as flawless. They adore my dad, find my sister adorable, and think my mom is the coolest. But my family is unraveling with daily arguments.
Feeling lonely while everyone else progresses in life, I don’t know what direction to take. So, I put on a brave face, pretending everything's okay...but inside, I’m really not.
71. Fake Grandpa
My grandpa, a WWII hero, was always a source of pride for me. I loved the idea that I carried a piece of him in my genes. But last year, at 35, I learned a shocking truth: he’s not my biological grandfather. He met my Polish grandmother and three-year-old father after the conflict in Germany, and they moved to the U.S. together.
My family, knowing how much I admired him, kept this secret from me. Now, my grandparents have lost their lives, and I’m left with unanswered questions about the real story. Sometimes, I wish I remained in the dark; there's some comfort in not knowing.
72. No Takebacks
I once swapped my cherished Subaru for a new Lexus SUV; my girlfriend and I needed more space for our dogs and managing two cars just wasn't in my budget. Fast forward to a time when I could afford a second car and was on the hunt for a new Subaru. Then, I spotted my old one on the road. The very same one! I chatted with the driver and, after one thing led to another, I bought it back.
73. Brothers Never Known
Growing up, I sensed my parents were hiding a "family secret". Whispers and unfinished conversations from my childhood led me to believe I had another older sibling. Though I’m the oldest of four, I clung to these sparse details but eventually chalked it up to a dark imaginary friend scenario as I aged.
One day in high school, while chatting with my mom, she accidentally let slip a detail about her early relationship with my dad. After pressing her, I learned that they had a child together when they were just 15. But the revelations didn't stop there: she shared that I actually had three older siblings, all lost in a tragic accident.
My mom broke down, and I've never pressed for more details since. Suddenly, I went from being the eldest of four to the middle child of seven. That moment likely became my personal reference for "trauma". It branded all my teenage obsessiveness, worries, and flaws into my character in a permanently scarring way.
74. A Little Empathy Goes A Long Way
When my dad was a kid, a sweet, elderly lady lived alone across the street. She was a widow from Finland, having lost her husband in WWII, and had moved to the USA with no family around. My grandparents, along with my dad and uncle, became her unofficial family, often stopping by to chat, help with groceries, and assist with house and yard tasks. She adored my dad and uncle, showering them with cookies, treats, and gifts, treating them like her own.
While my dad served in Vietnam, she'd send him voice recordings and letters, sharing neighborhood stories and praying for his safe return. After the conflict, he’d visit her, assist around her house, bring her favorite macaroons, and spend time simply talking.
Unexpectedly, after she passed, a lawyer contacted my grandparents. To their surprise, she'd left them a generous amount of money and stocks, and her fully paid-off home was bequeathed to my dad and uncle - despite the family having thought she had little financially. The takeaway? Never underestimate the impact of small, kind acts - you might be a huge positive in someone’s life.
75. A Woman’s Place Is In Your Face
A couple of days ago at work, a senior colleague of mine, known for his abrasive behavior, went on a particularly unpleasant rant. I usually try to tune him out, especially on that day when I wasn't in the best of moods, just keeping my head down and concentrating on my tasks. But then, he said something that stuck with me.
Loudly, he proclaimed, "The world would be peaceful if women stayed home. They shouldn’t leave the kitchen". He then pivoted towards me, spewing unsavory comments about our supervisors. As an intern, fear of losing my job prevented me from reporting his inappropriate behavior, so I stayed silent, even though his words wounded me deeply, despite not being his direct target.
I’m a woman who has worked incredibly hard to be where I am. I’ve surmounted numerous hurdles to secure a position at this company. His prejudiced remarks ignited a fury within me and I felt paralyzed, unable to act. If the higher-ups knew his true nature, perhaps he would lose his job - or so I’d like to think.
76. The Man, The Myth
I work in a penal institution and recently, a woman traveled all the way from Nigeria to visit her brother, supposedly locked up in our facility. Her English was limited, but we did our best to communicate that her brother was no longer listed in our system. Likely, he had been released. A supervisor confirmed that, indeed, he had been out for over five months.
The woman returned with her husband, who was more fluent in English, to seek clarity. We recounted the situation, and he queried, “So, where did he go? He has no friends or family in the US". We explained that we had no idea—once released, he could be anywhere. Puzzled, the husband responded, “But... he couldn’t have gone far... he doesn’t have legs".
Now, there’s a legless Nigerian ex-inmate, with no known connections, somewhere in the US, and his whereabouts remain a mystery.
77. Collection Company Corruption
My first "grown-up" job was with a big-name credit card company, which also dealt in student loans. Understandably, the collections department was all business, but it often felt harsh. The moment that made me break ties with the company came during a call with a co-signer about her son’s slightly overdue student loan.
After hearing my standard spiel, she patiently apologized, explaining her son had lost his life four years ago, and amidst her grief, she had lost track of the payments. I was stunned because, as an employee, I knew that loans could be forgiven if the borrower was gone.
Sharing this info with her brought her such relief, and she ended the call with gratitude. For once, I felt like I had positively impacted someone through my job, a refreshing departure from the norm in collections.
But my bubble burst a day or two later when my manager and department head, having monitored the call, confronted me. Far from the praise I expected, they criticized me for "losing" the company money by sharing that information with the customer. According to them, it wasn’t in the company’s "best interest" to divulge such details. That was the last straw for me, and I left soon after, unable to work for a company with such practices.
And now, knowing this secret, I've often wondered if I should tell the truth on the company's approach.
78. Tattoo Removal Near Me
I took a trip with my girlfriend of four years and during our journey, we met someone really great. The three of us hit it off, becoming best friends and traveling together for four months, even getting matching tattoos to remember our incredible times. But, there's a twist: in the last week of our trip, my girlfriend cheated on me with our new friend every night, while I was asleep in the same room. I discovered the truth when I was fixing her broken phone and saw their messages coming in.
79. The Sour Sweetheart
I know someone who once anonymously sent awful threats online to another person, and then ditched that platform. Now, she's gained quite a bit of success on a different social media app. However, if her multitude of fans discovered her previous cyberbullying antics, it could really wreck her online popularity. Part of me wishes someone would expose her, but I can’t be the one to do it.
Why? I just can't handle the ensuing drama. It would open a whole can of worms. Given her past willingness to do terrible things before becoming an internet sensation, I have no clue what lengths she'd go to protect her image now, especially with so much at stake. She’s mentally unstable, so blowing her cover might have serious consequences. Plus, her fans are die-hard supporters; I’m not convinced they’d believe me even if I spoke up.
80. Nip Trip
For 17 years, I believed I had a couple of birthmarks on my torso. However, my girlfriend, being curious and taking a closer look, made a surprising discovery. It turns out, I have an extra pair of nips, small but complete with areolas and everything.
81. One More Try
During my first year of high school, a girl friend invited me to Homecoming, and I awkwardly turned her down. It wasn’t out of malice, just teenage cluelessness. Afterward, we each dated other people, finding ourselves stuck in lengthy, unhappy relationships. Fast forward to three days ago - I married her, the girl I was so foolish to reject back then.
82. Coming Out Together
My parents separated when I was a kid. I told my mom and stepdad I was gay at 13, but I held off on telling my dad since we weren't as emotionally connected. At 16, I decided it was time to tell him, so I called him up. "Dad, I need to tell you something". "No matter what, I love you," he replied. "I'm gay". He responded, "So am I". I was like, "What??"
83. Anything For The Good Armor
A high school friend of mine from Texas has a really quirky brother who pretends to be a girl in online games to get free stuff from people. After moving to Boston for college, I visited her last winter. While at her house, I spotted her brother's laptop in the game room, displaying photos of a girl on the desktop, leaving me shocked.
He claimed they were random shots of a girl from Reddit, whose account had been dormant for years, and he was using those pics to convince someone in his game that he was a girl. It just blew my mind because that same girl was in my Econ class back in Boston.
84. Sleep Twins
While studying in England, I arranged a weekend getaway to Barcelona with a friend, and this was before cellphones were common. I overslept and reached the airport three hours late, expecting to have missed her. But, when I arrived, there she was! Simultaneously, we both blurted out, "I am SO sorry...Wait, why are you apologizing?" She had also overslept. Surprisingly, British Airways swapped our tickets at no extra cost, and we made it to Barcelona, just a bit behind schedule.
85. Escaping Is 50/50
I was a huge fan of escape rooms, until I stumbled upon a little secret: they can be rigged. Your success or failure in some escape rooms might actually hinge on the whim of the clue master. Certain companies might even manipulate win-loss ratios, aiming for a 50/50 split. So, your victory might sometimes be pre-decided. Well, I suppose the cat's out of the bag on that one now.
86. No Corrections
For the first 8 months of tutoring, I called my tutor "Mr.," only to discover she was a woman.
87. Hunting For The Truth
My dad lost his life when I was little, and my mom always said it was a hunting accident. But 58 years later, after my mom was gone, her will revealed a shocking truth to me. She wanted me to know, when I was ready, that my dad didn’t die from an accident but took his own life. It seems like she took that secret with her to the grave.
88. Fly-in Uncle
I grew up with a wealthy but pretty eccentric uncle. He’d visit us kids maybe once a decade. The last time he came, he met my brother at the airport, took us to Denny's for an hour, and then hopped on another plane back home. When he lost his life, he left behind no friends and a wife who had tragically inebriated herself to end years before. The wild part? He left his whole fortune to an Elvis impersonator. Everything.
89. The Pressure’s On
My dad lost his life when I was six, and my mom said it was from a heart attack while he was with the Navy at sea. During my teen years, I suspected she might be shielding me from a darker truth, like maybe he took his own life or overdosed, especially since he wasn’t overweight or unhealthy. Fast forward two decades, and seven out of his eight siblings have perished before hitting 60 due to heart-related issues. Now, I'm beginning to believe my mom’s original story.
90. In-Ex-Scapable
I began dating a girl and our single parents met and really hit it off. The girl cheated on me with my best friend, leading to a nasty breakup. Twist of fate: now my ex-girlfriend is my stepsister. Life sure knows how to throw curveballs.
91. Going Up, Going Out
I was once caring for a woman in the last stages of kidney failure, on the brink of passing away and unresponsive in her bed. My workstation was just outside her room, where I was finishing paperwork and waiting for her only daughter to come. Then, something chilling occurred.
The daughter arrived, distraught, insisting her mother was in the elevator needing help. We rushed there, but it was empty. As we entered the patient's room, the woman drew her final breath. The daughter was adamant: she had ridden the elevator with her mother from the lobby to the 12th floor. Upon arrival, her too-weak-to-walk mother asked her to fetch a nurse and stayed in the elevator. The mystery lingered in the air as we stood in the silent room.
92. Doing His Duty
A girl persistently scolded the guy she insisted was her baby's father, scrutinizing genetic similarities between the child and the supposed "dad," and declared she hadn’t been with anyone else for years. Finally, the judge asked the silent, verbally battered guy if he had any defense.
He presented a folder of paperwork. After reviewing it, the judge immediately sided with him. As it turned out, he had been deployed overseas with the army for the last four years, making it impossible for him to be the father since he wasn't even in the country when the baby was conceived.
93. Spoiler Alert Will
Two brothers from a very affluent family visited their family lawyer to hear their late parents' will. The lawyer, noticeably anxious because he had known them since childhood, read it out: one son inherited everything, while the other received nothing, with the explanation that the inheritance should only go to blood relatives. That moment revealed to one brother that he was adopted.
94. The Old Switcharoo
My wife and I cherish our son deeply, and watching him grow has been incredible. But there's a heart-wrenching secret I've held back since the harrowing day my wife gave birth. She nearly lost her life during labor and slipped into a coma for several days. When she awoke, our son was in her arms, yet she was unaware of the dire act I'd committed.
I secretly acquired my son from a person involved in not permitted child trading after my wife tragically lost our biological child during childbirth. In my country, this is unhappily accessible due to the many impoverished parents willing to part with their children.
95. It Hits The Fan
I used to work as a prosecutor in my local district attorney's office right after becoming a lawyer. We had a trial scheduled for a case that had been postponed multiple times. A week before the trial, it seemed like it would finally happen. I was prepared and waiting for the defense attorney to arrive when he walked in and mentioned he'd request another delay.
I chuckled, thinking it was unlikely to be granted. Then, the judge, already irritated by more delays, arrived. While we were in court, I noticed an unpleasant odor but couldn't pinpoint its source. The judge asked the defense attorney why he needed another delay, and that's when things got shocking.
The defense attorney opened his briefcase, revealing a ziplock bag containing soiled underwear. He explained that he had experienced a bathroom accident that morning in court. He was an elderly lawyer who had been taking stool softeners. The judge granted the delay, and, in fact, the courtroom had to be closed for the day for maintenance to clean and sanitize the area where he had been sitting.
96. A “Shameful” Family Secret
My great-grandmother had a strong dislike for me. I was born to unmarried parents, and they separated when I was three. When my father impregnated his girlfriend, my great-grandmother insisted he marry her or be cut off from her life. So, my father married my stepmother, who already had a child, and my great-grandmother was very loving toward my step-brother and sister, but not me.
She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me. During family gatherings, I felt her coldness. I would spend Christmas with the family, but she refused to acknowledge me. I'd return home in tears, wondering why Grandma wouldn't talk to me. She ignored me throughout those four days, while showering affection on my brother and sister, who lived in another country by then.
I only discovered the truth after her passing. To my surprise, I was excluded from her will – the only grandchild left out among seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. My dad eventually shared a portion of his inheritance and some family heirlooms with me, pretending all along that she didn't dislike me, even into my 30s.
Her animosity towards me was so strong that I'm only now getting to know relatives who were unaware of my existence. My dad, siblings, and nana were instructed not to mention me to other family members. Consequently, the few who met me when I was a baby had forgotten about me. It's taken until I reached 36 years old for this secret to start coming to light.
My sister disclosed this information to me only a few years ago, although she had known about our great-grandmother's disdain for me since childhood because of the hateful comments made behind my back. My nana's partner confirmed it a couple of months ago, and my mum finally shared the full story last Christmas, which turned out to be the last time I saw her.
97. So Much For The Language Of Love
My friend appeared to have a perfect life, but there was an issue: Whenever his French wife's family visited, she would only speak French, leaving him out. He grew suspicious and decided to record their conversations, having them translated afterward. What he discovered was truly heartbreaking. The entire family had been insulting him mercilessly during their visits. It was incredibly painful for him to learn.
98. Bad Suggestions
After my twin brother tragically lost his life in a car accident, my family awkwardly suggested that I should date his girlfriend to help cope with the grief. Talk about a cringe-worthy moment, thanks, Mom.
99. Get OUT
I suspect my boyfriend has been secretly drugging me and manipulating me psychologically. It's been really tough to understand, but I've been experiencing memory gaps that I've brushed off as fatigue or stress. What's even more concerning is that these gaps tend to occur after I go on dates with him. I've woken up a few times with unexplained substances on my chest, and I'm convinced it's him. The first time, we had been drinking, so I thought it might be related to that, but it's happened even when we weren't drinking.
I decided to break up with him, but then I found myself on another date with him a few days later, with no memory of agreeing to it. I started to regain my memory during those three days at his place, but then he pointed out some red bumps on my thigh that I had forgotten about. They looked like needle marks that had become infected, and it freaked me out.
The next day, he came to my place unexpectedly, and I woke up with no memory again. Today, he met me for lunch, claiming we had agreed to it, but I had no recollection of agreeing. This constant manipulation is taking a toll on my work and personal life. I've become paranoid at work, thinking my bosses are going to fire me, and my friends have noticed that I've been acting strangely.
I've even started sleepwalking due to the stress. I want to get to the bottom of this and have him held accountable. Is there a way to get blood work done to identify the substances he might be using on me?
100. Miracle Babies
My ex-wife is taking me to court for child support, but there's a significant problem: I can't father children. I lost that ability at 14 due to a serious health issue. I married a woman who initially identified as asexual, but later, she informed me she was pregnant with twins from another man she was involved with. Our divorce happened before the children were born. It's been four years since then.
So I recently got the letter stating that I'm being sued for child support. However, these kids are definitely not mine, and we had already split up before they were born. I'm in a tough spot; my health is poor, and my finances are extremely limited. Just making ends meet is a struggle.
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