15 True Stories Where Life Threw a Curveball

We often believe that plot twists only belong in TV shows or books, but when life throws us one, we realize things aren’t always as they seem at first glance. These surprises can make us feel like we’re living in a movie, too.

• I had recently moved to a new town, even though my boyfriend still lived in our old city. When my birthday rolled around, I made the drive back to have a nice, quiet dinner together. But from the moment I picked him up, I noticed he seemed distant, glued to his phone, barely talking. Our conversation felt strained, and his constant texting, which was unusual for him, started making me worry. Had the distance gotten to him? Was he losing interest?
  After dinner, he casually suggested we stop by a friend’s place to pick up something he’d left there. I agreed, though it felt odd to do that on my birthday. As we walked up the stairs, I kept running through all the signs of his detachment, wondering if he’d rather be somewhere else, with someone else.
  Then the door opened, and to my shock, I was greeted by cheers, decorations, and faces of friends from both cities, friends I hadn’t seen in ages. He had gathered everyone together just for me. Every moment of texting and distance I’d misread was him working to pull off this surprise, a beautiful party that made me feel like I’d never left home at all.
• I was getting late to catch a flight and hadn’t checked in. Discovered when I reached the airport that I actually came to the wrong airport.
  Had to travel about 30 minutes to reach the other airport. Went to check-in about 20 minutes before my flight. They didn’t have any seats, so updated me to business class. Best flight of my life, so far. © Unknown author / Reddit
• The other day I was in a toy shop, was choosing a toy car as a gift to my nephew. In the department with dolls, where I went to dream about what I didn’t have as a child, I accidentally overheard a conversation.
  A little girl was asking her mom to buy her a doll’s house, “Mom, please, it has everything — a washing machine, a kitchen, a bathroom, and even 3 beds!” And the woman replied, “Diana, we had a deal, remember? 3 or more digits on the price tag means it’s not for sale.” © Chamber 6 / VK

• “My sister’s boyfriend decided that he wanted to do more with his architecture skills so he gave his two weeks notice and moved to Haiti to help rebuild after the earthquake. They stayed together. He had bad phone service so they mostly kept in touch through emails. He would send her long emails with photos and stories of what they were doing. This went on for a couple of months. One off-handed tip from a co-worker and a week of sleuthing later and it turns out he never went to Haiti. He moved to Seattle to be with his fiance and partner of 9 years.” HouPoop / Reddit
• I recently found a phone on the street. I took it with me to give it back to the owner in case they started looking for it and called. When I got home, I put the phone on the charger and waited for a call.
  In the evening, the contact “Honey” rang. I happily picked up the phone and said that I had the phone. The girl replied that it was her boyfriend’s phone and asked me to throw the device out the window.
  I was confused and asked if she was joking. And the girl said her boyfriend cheated on her. I hung up the phone and started waiting for a call from someone else. © Chamber 6 / VK
• One day I went shopping and got a taxi. The driver was a red-haired man. When we pulled over at my house and I opened the door, my red dog ran up to me.
  I said, “Well, ginger, are you going to help me carry the bags?” I got out of the car and saw the taxi driver standing there with my bags in his hands. I had to explain, “I was talking not to you, but to the dog.” It was awkward. © Chamber 6 / VK

• My husband and I are both 50, and our kids are grown up, living on their own. The doorbell rings and suddenly a young woman is standing at the door, with a baby in her arms. She hands him to me and says, “He’s your grandson! Your son Stepan was responsible, and now he won’t acknowledge it!” In disbelief, I tell her, "I think you have the wrong floor! Stepan lives above us. My husband and I only have two daughters.’ The young woman gave me a suspicious look, muttered, ’Thank you!’ and went to the neighbors. I sighed in relief because I’m not quite ready for grandchildren, especially ones like that.
• My girlfriend of 2 years moved a couple hours away to go to school. We saw each other most weekends. The weekend before Valentine’s Day we were together and it was great.
  The next weekend, on Valentine’s Day, I go to see her at her parents’ home. I see through the window as I walk up to the house, her and her fiancé are showing her parents an engagement ring. They got married, and after 6 years she discovered his other wife and kids. © thecultcanburn / Reddit
• I’m 2 months pregnant. My husband and I decided it was time to tell our daughter that she was going to have a sibling soon. Lisa is 10 years old and is an affectionate and gentle child. She always got all our attention, we loved and spoiled her very much.
  Well, we say all this to her, expecting joy or just surprise. But her face twists with anger, and she shouts, “No, I don’t want to!” It was a real shock. We try to calm her down, explain how great it will be, and she’s like, “I want to be the only child in the family! Do something about it, bring this child back! I don’t want it!”
  Then she cried and now sits in her room and won’t talk to us. I am so confused, I don’t know what to do. And this is the reaction to my pregnancy so far. I am now scared of what might happen when the baby is born. © Mamdarinka / VK

• I graduated law, and got engaged to the girl I had been with through university. We both applied for the same graduate program and ended up working in the same office in Canberra. 3 months before our wedding, I found out she was cheating on me with our mutual boss, and I broke it off with her. Long story short, it got really, really ugly and the 2 of us ended up in a very bitter court case over property.
  Canberra is a pretty small city and the legal world is pretty bloody small there, too, and everywhere I went I bumped into my ex. It was beginning to seriously get me down (her too, as it transpired), and I applied for an Australian government overseas development job in Tuvalu, a pacific island with about 11,000 population. It’s quite a prestigious job to get, with only 2 positions offered for a 2-year contract on a rotating basis.
  I was successful in the application and moved on-island to start my posting. To discover that my ex was the other successful applicant. I spent the next 2 years sharing a tiny office on a tiny island with the person that I quite honestly loathe more than any other in the world. © larriedbutmooking / Reddit
• My future husband and I lived in the same building, but on different floors. And then fate brought us together. We had a stormy romance.
  And in one beautiful evening, after a year of relationship, I asked a purely female question, “Honey, why did you fall in love with me?” He said, “Well, you live close by.” I was so angry with him that night, but I don’t ask such questions anymore. © Chamber 6 / VK
• Years ago, my company was slowly going under, so I was looking for other jobs. I got a job with another company and put in my 2 weeks with my manager.
  Me: “I’ve been offered another job, and I’m taking it. I’m putting in my notice.”
  Manager: “Oh, well, we hate to lose you. Do you mind me asking where you will be going?”
  Me: “I’m going to [company].”
  Manager: “No...”
  Me: “...”
  Manager: “I applied for that position too.”
  Me: “I’m sorry to tell you that you didn’t get it.” © Contorto103 / Reddit

• I taunted my little sister her entire life about the fact that she looked nothing like me and our dad. I always made “you’re adopted” jokes about her and stuff. It became an inside joke between us — I’d tell her we found her on the doorstep, and she’d say, “Thank god, that means I’m not actually related to you.” My parents kind of frowned at it because it was “mean” but my sister could take a joke, and she knew I was just teasing her; she joked about it herself.
  Found out a couple years ago that she was the product of a short-lived affair. My dad accepted her as his own, and my parents kept it a secret from everyone. They told her last year. I still make “maybe you’re adopted” jokes about her, but they’re 100 times funnier now. © ae____ / Reddit
• My wife and I have been married for 7 years. We have a seemingly perfect life: a good job, a cozy home, loads of friends. It all started a few months ago.
  My wife started staying late at work, began to hide her mobile phone. And then I accidentally saw messages from a man on her phone. They were romantic. I also found some photos of my wife with him. My heart was pounding like crazy. But I told her everything.
  She was shocked. Turns out this guy was actually a therapist she’d been seeing to address personal issues. My wife said she had developed feelings for him and their relationship had become more than just professional. She assured me it was over, and she wanted to work on our marriage.
  I’m at a crossroads right now. On one hand, I want to leave, I feel betrayed and unable to trust my spouse anymore. On the other hand, I am thinking about trying to rebuild our relationship, especially given her willingness to seek help and her genuine remorse. © bogotabombshell / Reddit
• 1991, I’m 19, just signed the lease for my first apartment, just got the first paycheck from my new job, I deposit the paycheck at an ATM (another first! I’d always gone into the bank to do it). Two weeks later, I get my bank statement in the mail, and see with horror I have only $1.87 in my account. Way wrong, I should have at least $200, I’d been very careful with my spending. I’m literally reaching for the phone to call the bank when the phone rings. It’s the police, asking if my ATM card was stolen. I check my wallet and the card is missing (my job at a theater pub came with cash tips so I didn’t use the card often), and tell them I was going to call them anyway because I was missing $200 from my account. “Well, we’ve got your card, and your $200, so come down to the police station,” they tell me.
  I can’t figure out how they have my card and the cash. Doesn’t make sense. I drive down there. Detective says someone (let’s call him Bob) pulled in to use an ATM and saw a man acting suspiciously while he was using it, moving back and forth as if trying to dodge the camera. Bob says the man then left the ATM, got into a car, and drove away at high speeds as if fleeing. Bob then went to the ATM and put his card in, which popped out. Bob then withdrew $200, and then another ATM card popped out. My card. Bob’s card had popped out because the crook had left my card in the ATM before speeding away. Bob realized he had withdrawn the money from my account and not his, so he brought my card and the cash to the police and reported the attempted theft.
  The detective gives me the description of the crook. According to Bob, it was a man 5’7“, brown hair, round gold-rimmed glasses. I say out loud “So, about my height, my color hair, and glasses like mine,” before realizing Bob was describing me.
  I’d never deposited a check in an ATM before, so I was moving back and forth, following the instructions on the screen, filling out the envelope with my account number, punching the amount in, etc. I then forgot to take my card out and just left because I’m a fucking idiot. I drove away at high speeds because I was 19 and that’s how I drove everywhere.
  Worried the detective might be annoyed, I didn’t tell him I was the crook, I just thanked him and left with the money I stole from myself. Somewhere in a box in my closet I still have the police report where I’m both the victim and the perp." chrislivingston / Reddit

These people also experienced real-life plot twists, and sometimes, the unplanned stories turn out to be the best ones.