11 Unbelievable Stories Where Everything Went Terribly Wrong

Forget perfectly planned moments—these stories are a reminder that life has a knack for throwing curveballs at the most unexpected times. You’ll feel bad for laughing, but you’ll be laughing anyway.

• My ex left her panties at my house a few months before I started dating my current girlfriend, and when I found them, I thought they were my current’s. Needless to say, when I handed her the panties like, “Hey, you left these!” with a smile on my face, and she told me they weren’t hers, my heart dropped like an anvil. She was definitely angry for a few days, but we’re fine now. © PyroIrish / Reddit

• Back in the floppy disk, pre-Internet days of computers, I was tasked by my job to do a software installation onboard a Coast Guard icebreaker.
  I flew from Ottawa to Halifax. Then I caught a taxi to CFB Shearwater, from where a Twin Otter flew me 1000 km north to a little town on the border of Quebec and Labrador. From there, I was flown by helicopter to do an at-sea landing on the icebreaker.
  After landing, I went down to the engine control room, where the computer was located, and laid out the disks: disk 1, disk 2, disk 3, disk 4, disk 6.
  Disk 5 was still on my desk in Ottawa. © khendron / Reddit

• I was at an orchestra course one time, and this guy was always wearing shorts, sun or rain. So, when we get to the jokey awards ceremony at the end, we get to the Shorts Award or something. I think it was named after him, too.
  He knew about this award, so he had put together a funny plan: He’d be wearing his shorts, and over them, he’d be wearing his baggy trousers. So he did. When he went up to get the award, the guy giving the award made some slightly disappointed comment, “Oh, not today apparently,” kind of thing.
  Time for the plan. Award-winner decides to take off the trousers, revealing the shorts, to great applause and laughter! Yeah, he took the shorts off too. Trousers were too tight.
  His boxers were, luckily, still on, but he was certainly embarrassed. Still got the laughs out of it, though. Also, Most Embarrassing Moment was rewarded to him. © klop422 / Reddit

• My girlfriend and I just moved in together, and I had the brilliant idea to wake up early last weekend and make her breakfast in bed. I made pancakes, scrambled eggs, coffee. Even warmed the plates like I saw in some Gordon Ramsay video. I was proud.
  I get everything onto a tray and start walking up the stairs. What I didn’t realize is that our cat had left one of her little rubber mouse toys right on the third step. Those tiny ones that look like lint until they’re under your foot.
  I step on it. Instantly lose my footing. Tray launches. Food is airborne. I go down like a sack of wet laundry.
  Pancakes fly. Coffee explodes on the wall. I hit the bottom of the stairs in a twisted pile of regret and syrup.
  My girlfriend runs out of the bedroom like she just heard a home invasion. She finds me groaning on the floor, holding my wrist, with a pancake stuck to my back like some kind of domestic shuriken. I tell her I think I broke something.
  We go to the ER. X-rays confirm: fractured wrist. The nurse doesn’t even react when I explain what happened. Just write it down and move on like she’s heard this exact story before, which honestly makes it worse. © RickyRapidRope / Reddit

• A teacher whose name I don’t even know at my son’s daycare said, “Bye, love you too,” after I told my son, “Love you, buddy, have a good day,” on my way out. So I’m pretty sure she’s had a morning full of cringe. © d***skittlez / Reddit

• I was returning home from a trip and left my hotel room at 4:30 in the morning to catch a 7:00 a.m. flight. I dropped the key card in the little drop box at the front desk, drove my rental car 45 minutes to the airport.
  Turned in the rental car, took the shuttle bus to the airport, got in line at security, got up to the agent, and reached into my pocket to pull out my ID and found my hotel card key in there instead. I realized I had left my ID in the dropbox back at the hotel. And no way to get there since I had no ID and couldn’t get my rental car back.
  I had to take a taxi back to the hotel and get back to the airport during morning rush hour. It sucked. I try to pride myself on being an efficient & savvy solo traveler. Not that day. © SuperCambot / Reddit

• I sent out an email to over 100 people with some info on it. Thought I messed up, so replied all, saying, “Hey, xyz was wrong!” Then realized it was actually right, so had to send a third email saying, “Actually, xyz was right the first time.” I hate doing stuff like that. © Bmc00 / Reddit

• Years ago, I went on a date with this girl who was obsessed with peanut butter. She kept pushing me to try her peanut butter smoothie, even after I said I wasn’t in the mood. Instead of just saying no, I blurted out, “Oh, I can’t—I’m allergic.” Big mistake.
  She was super concerned, asked a million questions, and I figured, whatever, I’d never see her again. But then she introduced me to her friend group. And they all knew about my “allergy.” At that point, correcting it felt too awkward.
  Fast-forward six years. I’m still friends with these people. My “allergy” is a known fact. They warn restaurants for me, they check ingredients, and one of them even threw out a peanut butter cake someone brought to a party “just to be safe.”
  The worst part? I love peanut butter. I eat it in secret. I have a stash at work. Now, my girlfriend wants us to move in together... and she’s super cautious about food.
  I’m terrified she’ll find my peanut butter stash and think I’ve been LYING TO HER. Which I have. For years. I have no idea how to get out of this. © Creepy-Desk-468 / Reddit

• I worked in a nice steakhouse. First week, I accidentally put salt in the sugar bowls and sugar in the salt shakers. Customers started to complain about their sweet steaks and salty coffees. We had to pull all the salt and sugar from each table. My last day as a waiter. © thebirdbrain / Reddit

• I have a really bad habit of typing an email, “Please see attached,” before actually adding the attachment. I’ve sent a lot of emails like this, usually noticing right away and resending.
  I was emailing a resume once, said, “Please see attached resume,” and of course, didn’t send it. They told me as much in their next email.
  I responded with something like, “Sorry for the inconvenience, I should have looked more carefully before sending that email. Please see the attached resume.” I didn’t attach the resume. I didn’t get the job. © raktoe / Reddit

• I was about to leave the grocery store when the cashier gave me a bag with a strange look. As I took it, he leaned in and whispered, “I have to warn you. Hurry!” Confused, I left and opened the bag to find an envelope with a note that made me freeze.
  It said, “You need to stop rushing through life. You’re missing too much.” I blinked, then laughed out loud. It was a silly little thing, but it was indeed true. I often miss the chance to slow down and enjoy the little things.

For the dessert, we’ve prepared another article, which is proof that no matter how bad things get, a little support can change everything. After all, a kind word, a small favor, or just someone showing up when it counts can make all the difference: 10 Kind Hearts Who Became Lifelines When Hope Was Lost