16 People Who Discovered Unbelievable Truths About Their Loved Ones

A study by Ancestry.co.uk found that 53% of people learned something new about a family member only after they had died, often uncovering wartime experiences, childhood stories, or travel histories. Similarly, a survey by The Conversation revealed that nearly two-thirds of family historians experienced strong negative emotions like sorrow or anger upon discovering distressing family secrets, such as bigamy or betrayal. These revelations highlight the complexities of familial relationships and the hidden narratives that shape our understanding of those we hold dear.

• My husband passed away suddenly when our daughter was 6. A year later, I discovered his records from when he was in a psychiatric hospital for depression. In the notes, I found a disturbing detail: the therapist mentioned that my husband never referred to our daughter by name, but only as “the child.”
  The notes also mentioned that my husband confessed to the therapist that he wouldn’t mind if I divorced him and took full custody. It’s been 10 years, and I’ve never discussed this with my daughter, nor do I intend to. @DayDreamerAllDay1 / Reddit
• When my grandmother died, she left our rental property (three houses) to me in her will, naming my dad as the guardian until I came of age. I only found out years after I turned 18 because my dad never told me. While going through old papers, I discovered her will and learned that he had sold one of the houses ages ago as if it were his own.
  He also took out credit cards in my name when I was still a kid, so my credit was already messed up before I even turned 18. @Ludwig_Von_Koopa1 / Reddit

• My mom tried to give me to my aunt when I was a baby because I wasn't 'planned' or wanted, which has influenced how she treated me throughout my life. @Unknown author / Reddit
• My grandmother has always been mean to her oldest daughter (my mom’s sister). She was always belittling her and criticizing her. I remember even when I was a kid, I thought she was just being so mean to her for no reason whatsoever. I just assumed she played favorites with her children to an extreme degree.
  When I was about 20, I learned that my grandmother conceived my aunt out of wedlock, before she had met and married my grandfather, and was mean to her because she doesn’t like being reminded about that part of her past.
  I had previously lost respect for her when I thought she was being mean to my aunt for no reason. When I found out the real reason, I just lost even more respect for her. @uh_oh_hotdog / Reddit

• My uncle suspected my aunt of cheating on him, so he faked his death and covertly observed her for several months until he was convinced of her faithfulness, then returned. @Nellie_blythe / Reddit
• After both of my grandparents on my dad's side had passed away, my dad discovered he had a sister. While cleaning out my grandparents' apartment, he found her birth certificate. After some research, he learned that he had a sister who is severely mentally disabled.
  It seems my grandparents weren’t prepared to raise a child with her needs. Unfortunately, they’re no longer around to question. My dad was 46 when he found out about his sister. @and_of_four / Reddit
• I found out my friend never really liked me. She would laugh with others about whatever I would tell her in confidence. We had our first babies only a few months apart. Broke my heart more than any man could. Ok_Priority_1120 / Reddit
• I discovered I had a sister who was given up for adoption at birth, long before my other sister and I were born. My mother found her a few years ago, but I have yet to meet her. Despite that, she's doing well, which I find pretty cool. @Whatamidoing82648 / Reddit

• I'm the youngest, and I found out at my sister's dad's funeral that my mom cheated on her dad with my dad, resulting in my conception. This revelation shattered their family. @Bo***ncrumbss / Reddit
• I found out that my birth mother actually wanted a relationship with me but gave custody to my dad when I was two because her rude husband didn’t want me around. I had always been told she never wanted me, and still, to this day, I barely know her from a stranger on the street. @Unknown author / Reddit
• I learned that my parents had a baby before I was born. He passed away when he was only a few months old. They never directly told me; I overheard them talking to someone else about it. @scarlet0709 / Reddit
• My friend was a catfish. This was back in the early days of the Internet. Bonded with someone on social media and introduced her to a few of my real-life friends. We had a very tight-knit group of folks. We sent presents in the mail and talked on the phone for a few years.
  One day, one of these very close friends just... deleted everything. We were worried and kept calling on the phone. Eventually, it came out that the person we’d come to call a friend wasn’t quite real. The person was real enough, but was a very casual Internet user.
  Her roomie decided to take over and roleplay her life online because... Roomie’s life was boring? Roomie had issues? Who knows. Roomie had made friends with all of us, but eventually felt some ’guilt’ over it. Coincidentally, this was also the time when Roomie was busted for stealing the friend’s credit cards. @SilentSeren1ty / Reddit

• A good friend of mine that I’d known for over 20 years died in 2021. I noticed a bunch of children at the funeral that I didn’t know. I asked who they were, and I was told that they were his children. He told me he had no kids, but actually he had 10. 10 kids! @CascadeJ1980 / Reddit
• When I was a kid, we used to get this weird phone call from someone asking for “Mary Ellen.” No one at my house had that name. We would be like, “No, you have the wrong number?!? Stop calling here.” One time my sister just blurts out, “Oooooooooh... Mom, it’s probably your boyfriend and that’s a secret code.” She was absolutely kidding...but totally got it right. The parents got divorced around a year after that. 15 years later, he’s still my stepdad. @sandwichnerd / Reddit
• I found out that my wife of three months, whom I married to help her get citizenship, was cheating on me with the best man from our wedding. After three years of their relationship, they are now separated and have a child. Meanwhile, I’m happily involved with an amazing girlfriend.
  @Yeen_North / Reddit
• In 9th grade, I was on a field trip with school and saw my dad’s car go by. He didn’t see me, but it was him and a lady I recognized from his work, and it was in the middle of a workday far from his office. About 5–6 years later, my parents got divorced, and a year later, the same lady moves in with him. It had been going on the whole time, and no one knows I know. @lzy_qa_guy / Reddit

People lie about things they don't want to reveal to other for various reasons. However, these secrets can often be so shocking that people are left with their entire world shattered.