You think you know someone, and then — bam — the rug is pulled out from under you. Years of trust, love, and shared life can vanish in an instant when a partner’s darkest secrets come to light. From hidden identities to double lives that make your head spin, these stories are proof that sometimes the person in your bed isn’t who you thought they were.
Story1
I dated a guy for three years who told me he had cancer. I was with him through every “treatment,” every “bad week.” He shaved his head, even showing me “hospital bracelets.” One day, his sister messaged me out of nowhere, he was perfectly healthy. He had never been sick. He had done this before with other women for sympathy and money. That broke something in me I still haven’t been able to fix.
Story2
I was pregnant when my husband passed away in a workplace accident. When I got his belongings, there were answering machine messages from someone thanking him for being so amazing. It made me feel proud of the good man he was.
Then, when I opened his computer, I was stunned to find emails and text messages from several women thanking him for dinner, etc. Suddenly, I felt a surge of anger at him that I could do nothing about. Everyone told me, “You can’t be mad at a dead person.” But it was confusing. © missymaypen / Reddit
Story3
Mari and I had been married for five years. One day, she texted me to meet her at a fancy restaurant. When I arrived, she kissed me and said, “Just relax.” The waitress handed me a rolled note, and inside was a ring. I froze as Mari said, “Read it, please.”
I recognized my own handwriting and read,”Dear Janet, consider this the start of my divorce. With this ring, I give you my heart.” Mari looked at me through tears and said, “I found the ring in one of your suit pockets, the one you never wear.” Her words hit me hard, and she added, “It will be our last dinner together, just relax,” smiling through the pain.
Story4
He lied about being in another country, sending me old pictures and videos to maintain the lie, so he could invite his ex to live with him just ten minutes from my house. She had apparently been told they were soon to get engaged. © ThrowRA-olivesgrow / Reddit
Story5
My wife “stretched the truth” (she was a master at avoid the outright lie) about how much money we had left in our savings. After she passed I discovered it was about twice as much as she had led me to believe. I’m looking at my year off as the last of the many gifts that woman gave me. ©
TrueEnt / Reddit
Story6
After telling her that I didn’t like how flirty and touchy her coworker was with her: “Don’t worry, he’s gay. Nothing will happen.” Very much not gay as it turned out. © El_Kikko / Reddit
Story7
He was married and had a son. I found a box of his wedding photos, and he tried to tell me that he, the groom, holding the bride, was just the best man. I took the train home immediately. He also wasn’t 21; he was 30. © ConsistentAd3146 / Reddit
Story8
It turns out she did not have cancer. It was all an attempt to gain sympathy from everyone around her, including me. Thankfully, I wised up before the wedding. © Jimmy_McAltPants / Reddit
Story9
Ex wife (now) purposefully tried to get herself pregnant with our daughter before we were married because she knew that her mom couldn’t pay for her health insurance anymore and she didn’t want to go work, but she knew that a baby could get her qualified for the state’s-health care system. Also, she told her sister that she only married me because she knew I’d be a stable provider and father, not because she loved me. © Schikadance / Reddit
Story10
I found his online profile seeking men on a dating app. I’m a woman, and we were in a heterosexual marriage. © Euphoric_Garbage1952 / Reddit
Story11
My ex lied to me about her age. It was during college; I was 24, and she claimed to be 26 (we weren’t dating at the time). When we started dating, a few odd things stood out that I ignored:
— Her senior pictures had an outdated 90s vibe.
— She never let me see her ID.
Eventually, curiosity got the best of me, and I googled her. It turned out she was actually 31. While the age difference itself wasn’t an issue, the fact that she lied about it definitely was. © Easy-Wish-2143 / Reddit
Story12
After 18 years together and having two kids, he came out as trans. Or rather, I discovered it. There was so much drama. I’m so happy to be living separately now and in the process of getting a divorce. © yantzpants / Reddit
Story13
After I divorced my ex-wife, I found out that she had given away two children when she was younger. I also discovered that her tubes had been tied the entire time we were married. We even met with a fertility doctor because she kept saying she was “messed up on the inside.” © civ187 / Reddit
Story14
I found a letter from a bank we didn’t use, confirming that she had opened an account with a large portion of the family funds. © docentmark / Reddit
Story15
My parents would have my brother, my sister, and me hide in various places around the house, making it seem like a game of hide and seek. I didn’t realize until later that they were actually hiding us from the police, so if there was a raid, we wouldn’t be taken into foster custody. © YerlerDermernd / Reddit
Story16
My girlfriend of five years told me she was finishing her degree at a university two hours away, which is why she only visited on weekends. I helped pay for her books, gas, and part of her tuition.
When I drove up to surprise her on her birthday, I couldn’t find her dorm. Turns out — she wasn’t even enrolled there. She had dropped out the year before and moved in with another guy, who thought she was working full time in another city. Two lives, two lies. She blocked me after I confronted her. I never even got my stuff back.