14 People Who Uncovered a Grim Reality About Their Family

Every so often, our lives can flip upside down when we discover a secret or solve a puzzling mystery. Though initially unsettling or frightening, these revelations often teach us important lessons and hopefully can make us stronger and more resilient. Today’s true tales remind us that life is full of unexpected twists and turns.

When I was 12, I found out that my aunt was having an affair with the neighbor. It happened when she was babysitting me and my brother. She had instructed us to go to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. Curious, I went to her room to talk to her, only to see that the neighbor was with her. She told me not to tell anyone, and I kept it a secret because I was so young. However, it has haunted me ever since, weighing on me day by day. © Careless-Wash-3117 / RedditI discovered that my brother was stealing money from our father, who had dementia. This went on for a year, and I only found out about it because the bank, which held my father’s mortgage, called me wondering why it hadn’t been paid in six months. Around the same time, my father’s bank account went into the negative. When I confronted my brother about it, he said, “Well, I gotta pay MY bills.” I was about to take control of all the accounts to ensure things got back on track, but my father ended up in the hospital and died shortly after that. Additionally, my brother also stole some of my inheritance.

In the end, he stole over $5000 from our dying father. © jimmypfromthe5thgala / Reddit

After my husband died in 2020, I found out he had been having an affair with a 30-year-old (he was 55). She apparently aborted his baby. Everything he told me about his prior life was a lie (second marriage for both of us), and he had been having affairs with men since he was in his early 20s. To sum it up, I didn’t know this man at all. We had been together for 10 years and married for 6. © TinktheChi / Reddit

Someone I viewed as my grandpa and a friend of my grandma forever broke my heart. He always did some great things for me, and I loved him a lot. But my mom revealed to me that he stole money from my grandma’s wallet right after he found out she died. That messed with me, and it was horrible to hear. Felt like someone just betrayed me.

My mom tries to stick up for him and says we should still care about him and such, but I don’t see how we could do that when you’re that quick to do something that heartless. It’s sad.
© that_one_chicken_guy / Reddit

Just last week, we found out my uncle, who has schizophrenia and lives with my grandmother, has a 12-year-old son that no one knew about. He still hasn’t told my grandmother, and now it’s like this big secret. © SamGee18 / RedditMy mom learned her dad wasn’t her dad at 42. She found out her mom wanted a well-off married man to leave his wife and down-syndrome child. He refused, and she moved to FL with the man my mom thought was her father. My mom reached out to his children 30 years ago when I was young.Apparently, the sons took it well, but the daughter did not. One of my mom’s lost aunts did say I look just like them. She never made contact again, but I’m pushing her to know more as I want to find them. © Crippled2 / Reddit

When my grandfather passed away, we discovered that he did not exist. His name was not in any government registry. He was a normal citizen, paid taxes, had a license and everything. Lived a long life, married to my grandmother for over 50 years, had multiple children. No one knows who he really was and why he had a false name. © daveypump / RedditA woman was in the midst of divorce proceedings with her husband. He made her life a living hell, always shouting and being demeaning.
Then, just as the divorce was entering its final stages, he very suddenly died.After his death, her world fell apart and she was eaten by guilt when she discovered that he had a massive undiagnosed brain tumor which had been physically altering his personality. She took it out on everyone she talked to and lost a lot of friends in the process. © Torien0 / Reddit

Our neighbor is a hoarder. I went into his house to help put in a new refrigerator and had to walk between piles of stuff and garbage. The worst part is, that he’s a nurse. © slave2themachine / Reddit

Recently, I found out that my mom’s younger brother (the youngest of three) has a different dad from my mom and her older brother. My late grandad was a loving and wonderful father to a boy he knew wasn’t his. He knowingly raised a boy who wasn’t his and probably knew who the dad was. I don’t know the full story, and no one is telling my grandma (my mom’s mom) that we know either. No good will come of that. © Sea_Photograph_3998 / Reddit

Through DNA testing (23andMe, etc.), while looking to figure out who MY dad was, I unraveled a family secret that my mother’s father wasn’t who she thought it was. Maternal grandmother had been lying to the family for over 40 years. © GardenGn0m3 / RedditMy father and his side of the family hid the fact that I have TWO older siblings. I’m 30 years old and just found out last week because my little sister (23) has social media, and my older sister contacted her, and we confronted my dad.I don’t know what to hate more: the fact that HE didn’t tell us, or the fact that the whole father’s side of my family has known and never said anything. © xKrossCx / Reddit

My sister’s husband actively cheats on my sister with at least one other woman, possibly two or more. He knows I know, but I haven’t said anything to anyone about it, himself included. We have never gotten along, so having this over his head has been quite a ride.
© ieatbigmacsdaily / Reddit
My elderly mother in another state would lie to me about her health and well-being. I always kept close tabs because she was in her 80’s, and everything appeared to be fine. One day, I got a call from her friend who filled me in on what was really happening. It turned out that her health was in poor condition. She ended up in assisted living as she needed it. I hear this happens a lot as the elderly don’t want to be put in a “home”. But in her case, it was necessary. And the place was quite nice. © sciguy52 / RedditIt can be quite baffling and unsettling when kids recall memories that seem to belong to a past life. The stories featured in this article are both eerie and thought-provoking, prompting us to ponder the mysteries of the human mind.