12 Heartbreaking Real Love Stories People Wish Were Just Fiction

Well, just like the universe, love has its own mysterious ways of working. Sometimes everything just falls into place, but other times, it simply doesn’t. We’ve gathered stories from ordinary people who’ve experienced the ups and downs of love. Take a moment to read them and share your advice.

• “He told me he left her. He didn’t. So I chose to out him to her every chance I could get. He’d send me letters apologizing or begging we stay together, so I’d mail them to her workplace so she could see what a loser she has.” Immediate-Ad-6364 / Reddit

• My mom caught me sneaking out for a date: I thought I was being slick, sneaking out to meet up with a guy, but my mom caught me right as I was heading out the door.
  She yelled, “Where do you think you’re going?” Then she kept going, “You’re sneaking out in the middle of the night? What is wrong with you?” I tried to explain, but she wasn’t having it, “If you’re going to sneak out, at least do it like you have some sense!”
  It was honestly mortifying, but in the end, I knew I’d never try to pull something like that again.

• “I was 16, he was 29. He made me feel beautiful, and gave me attention. He also said he was going to end it with his girlfriend, and I guess I wanted to believe him.
  Of course, once he got what he wanted, and after a pregnancy scare, he stopped talking to me altogether. He never broke up with her, a friend lost complete respect for me for getting involved with a guy who was taken, and I lost even more self-esteem.” Unknown author / Reddit

• My boyfriend decided to cook me a fancy dinner, and I was cautiously excited. He proudly presented what he called his “signature dish,” which turned out to be burnt spaghetti and a side of overcooked chicken.

• A girl had been dating a guy for a while when she realized he was still in love with someone else. Despite being in a relationship with her, he had never fully committed. The situation was painful, and after a lot of soul-searching, she decided to end things and walk away from a relationship that wasn’t right for her.

• “I was 15, and he was an older boy in my high school who rode my bus. He used big words and I had a massive crush on him. He had a GF in another school, but he asked me to prom, where we kissed in the garden.
  He told me he broke up with his other GF afterwards. And then proceeded to cheat on me with my so-called best friend.” OhuprettyCatfishes / Reddit

• My friend had been dating a guy for a while when she discovered his secret addiction. He had been hiding it from everyone, and when she found out, it forced her to rethink their entire relationship. She wasn’t sure if she could help him or if it was time to walk away from the unhealthy situation.

• Every time they went out, he was glued to his phone. She realized that while they were supposed to be spending quality time together, he was distracted by texts from other women. When she found out he had been using dating apps while they were together, it was the last straw, and she ended things for good.

• My mom tried to set me up with her friend’s son: After hearing that I was single, my mom decided to play matchmaker and set me up with her friend’s son. She showed me his picture, and I couldn’t stop laughing—it was my high school crush who’d once rejected me! I ended up going on the date, and it turned out to be a surprisingly good time.

• What seemed like a perfect match fell apart when my friend discovered that he had been lying about his job. He had claimed to work in a high-paying career, but the truth was far from it. She felt deceived and couldn’t continue in a relationship built on lies, so she ended things.

• I met Sally at an event. She was married but said it was complicated. After months, I gave her an ultimatum: me or him.
  The next day, she told me her husband wanted to meet me. I agreed anyway. When we met, her husband was calm, but the real shocker came when he said, “You’re not the first one. Sally does this often because she loves the thrill, but she always comes back to me.”
  She didn’t deny it. I walked out that day, realizing I was just another thrill for her. It hurt, but I moved on.

• “For 2 years, I didn’t know my boyfriend was cheating and making plans on Facebook to move in with another woman. When I confronted him, he told me that I was ’the other woman,’ but she was willing to let me move in with them. We broke up and he moved in with her.
  A year later, my ex called me complaining that she wasn’t financially responsible and wasn’t able to run a house as well as me. He asked me to move to Florida with him. I laughed at him and said he should have thought about that before telling me I was the other woman.” darklinghate / Reddit

Before you go, don’t forget to check out another article where we dive into 6 fascinating fashion trends that are set to continue into 2025. It’s definitely worth a read.