14 People Recount Memories That Still Leave a Sour Taste

Even though not all of our memories are happy and some we’d rather forget, they still matter. They help shape our identity, and talking about them can be healing. Today, we’re sharing some true stories that reflect this idea.

• I was 10. A new family moved into our neighborhood. I became friends with their daughter, and she always told me that their house was haunted. One day, I was playing in the yard with her when a disheveled-looking man came running out their front door, followed by her parents. The man proceeded to run into the woods. It turned out that the man was living in their attic and kept it locked from the inside, but my friend’s dad finally pried it open. Since then, I have been carefully checking every house I have ever lived in. © Unknown author / Reddit

• When I was around the age of 5 or 6, I remember my dad talking on the phone, thinking it was my mom because he was saying sweet things during his conversation. He passed the phone to me, and thinking it was my mom, I answered by saying, “Hi Mom.” It wasn’t her. I later found out that my dad had numerous mistresses even before my mom passed away 5 years ago.
  It still haunts me because to this day, my dad thinks I don’t remember what happened that day, and I still don’t fully trust him since then. © Unknown author / Reddit

• My parents gave my younger siblings’ dog to a shelter without telling them and then pretended that it had gotten lost, letting them put up signs and go looking for it. I was beyond furious, and it was one of the reasons I moved out as soon as I could earn enough money to do it.
  The fact that my stepmother did my half-sister’s homework for her didn’t help. © na***onmygoat / Reddit

• I found my parents’ couples therapy notes in the car, which said my dad didn’t think I was his. © grrrrrrrrrravy / Reddit

• When I was eight, I overheard my nanny say during a phone call, “These aren’t my children, just my paycheck.” I remember feeling awful because I thought of her like family. © nosleepy / Reddit

• I went to the bathroom in a department store. I sat down on the toilet and suddenly had a weird feeling. I bent down to look through a hole in the divider wall and I saw an eyeball staring back. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I used to sleep in a room right next to my parent’s room, and the air conditioning vent was directly connected to their room. I could constantly hear them discussing how when I came into their life, I completely ruined it. Almost every night for about 5 years, the subject was about me and how horrible I was.
  They don’t know about this, and they still say “I love you” to my face. © Bruser75 / Reddit

• I overheard my stepdad tell my mum, “It’s either me or the kids.” A week later, my sister and I were put into a children’s home.
  I have never forgiven my mum, and I haven’t seen or spoken to her for nearly 35 years. © sarahsgrove / Reddit

• I came home with my babysitter to discover our home was broken into and robbed by people my parents knew. I was around 4 or 5 years old. It was quite devastating for my parents. They lost a big chunk of their savings. © jazw / Reddit

• My dad asked, “Why is she so ugly?”
  I was 8. I went to the mirror and cried. It was the first time I ever realized that I could actually look at myself with judgment. It never stopped. © odd_neighbour / Reddit
  

• When I was 14, my mother decided that she had enough of the whole mothering thing. She dropped me off at my aunt’s house without telling my aunt. I think the plan was to drop me off and be out of state before anyone knew. Unfortunately for her, my aunt had been outside at the time.
  During the screaming match that followed, I learned that I was meant to be a trap for my father.
  © RissaTheWaitress / Reddit

• My aunt is less than 10 years older than me. I believe she was in high school, and I was in like 1st or second grade. We were at an outdoor event, and all of a sudden, an ambulance pulled up.
  I was hanging with my parents, wondering what was going on, and the next thing I know, my aunt runs up to us freaking out. Her boyfriend has a seizure. By the time we get there, he’s on the stretcher, trying to get words out, and I still picture the look on his face. © happydayz395 / Reddit

• I was the poorest kid in school, and everyone looked down on me. So when a rich classmate invited me to her 9th birthday party, I was thrilled because I’d never been to a party before. I couldn’t afford a gift like the other kids, but I wore my best outfit, hoping to fit in. As soon as I arrived, everyone was looking at me and whispering. Even her mom kept staring at me. I felt so out of place that I left early and slowly walked home in a devastated mood.
  Once I got inside, I opened the backpack I had with me, and to my shock, I found that there was a note from the birthday kid’s mom. It read, “You’re amazing! Don’t let anyone shatter your confidence, ever. Enjoy!” Confused, I stepped outside and saw a big box on the porch. Inside, I found a huge slice of birthday cake, sandwiches, snacks, a goody bag filled with all the items from the party, and extra toys.
  At that moment, I realized that the mom wasn’t staring at me in judgment like the others, but with empathy. She saw my discomfort and went out of her way to make me feel included and valued.
  Nearly 20 years later, I still think about that day. I still feel angry when I think about those kids and their ruthless parents who ruined my day. But then I remember those simple words of encouragement from my classmate’s mother, and I smile again. Her unexpected act of kindness taught me that a little compassion can transform someone’s day—and sometimes their whole life.

• When I was 5, I was told I was a stepchild by my grandma on my biological mom’s side. When I asked my dad and stepmom who my biological mom was, they reluctantly revealed she was “sick.” I didn’t understand and asked why she didn’t want me if she was just sick, and after some reluctance, I was told that she was schizophrenic, or in their words at the time, “crazy.” I grew up fearing I’d end up like her. © BaneofKaidou / Reddit

Some of the most unforgettable moments come from uncovering disturbing family secrets. In our next article, people have bravely shared their own hidden family truths with the hope that opening up will bring them comfort and a sense of freedom.