Story 9:
Story 10:
I always knew I was adopted as an infant. When I was 26, I received an anonymous letter in the mail containing my original birth certificate and a card from my sister’s funeral. I grew up knowing her as a cousin.
It turns out my great-uncle adopted me. My “aunt” is actually my grandmother, and my mother is my “cousin.” When I was young, we often visited my (great-)grandparents, who lived about four hours away. My biological parents lived next to my grandparents—which meant I saw them regularly and played with my full brother and sister, but had no idea at the time.
Story 11:
My grandma had a baby that nobody ever knew about. In her final years she kept asking for her baby, and afterward, we found a single photo of a baby that wasn’t any of our family. Then my uncle told us she went away for a summer when she was a young adult, and it kind of clicked… Her parents were really strict, and we suspect she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Story 12:
Story 13:
For illustrative purpose only
When my grandmother di:ed, 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
Story 14:
My husband, 42, di:ed unexpectedly a month ago. Yesterday, his phone chimed. It was a notification for a charge on his card. The payment was for a hotel room, made just minutes earlier. I quickly drove to that hotel address. On the way, a text popped on his phone. It said: “I’m already at the hotel, waiting for you.” I started sweating; my hands began to shake as I was driving.
Then, suddenly, his phone rang. I froze when I heard a woman’s voice say, “Where are you, love? I’ve been waiting for you for an hour!” I screamed, asking who she was. She sounded confused and said, “Isn’t this Jake’s phone?”
But my husband’s name wasn’t Jake. His name was Daniel…
It turns out, that Jake was a 23-year-old who had hacked into my late husband’s phone and taken all his personal information—including his credit card. I contacted the authorities, and they were able to fix everything.
But for a brief moment, I let myself believe the impossible. That maybe, somehow… my husband was still alive.
