No matter how certain we are about a tale or how well we think we can predict its outcome, there is always an unforeseen twist that will catch us off guard, testing all we think we know about life or our loved ones. Each story in this book includes a big surprise that reshapes the narrative, turning it completely on its head.

Story 1:

I was with my 5 y.o. son waiting for our flight when he got lost. Panicked, I called his dad, and he rushed over to help search for him. 2 hours later, a woman in her 30s found him at the airport. 20 years later, as I was telling a friend about this kind stranger, my son turned and said, “She wasn’t a stranger. Dad knew her!” I froze as he added, “I wasn’t lost that day. Dad took me, and she was there at the airport waiting for him with two suitcases—one for her and one for him. She and Dad were planning to run away and take me with them.”

I was sh0cked. At the time, my husband and I were struggling in our relationship, but I never imagined it had gone this far. I asked my son why he hadn’t told me, and he said he didn’t want to ruin our marriage, especially since we eventually worked things out. But as he got older, he put the pieces together and was certain the woman was Dad’s lover, especially since he remembered seeing them kiss.

I confronted my husband, and he broke down in tears. He admitted he had planned to leave with her and take our son, but at the last moment, the woman panicked and decided to return my son to me. Now, my whole world feels shattered, and I can’t shake the feeling that my entire marriage was a li:e.

Story 2:

When I was about 19, I met a woman in the college bar I frequented. Long story short, we quickly move in together sharing a bedroom, checking account, the whole deal. Just after our first anniversary, while I was at work, she moved out without telling me. I found out about a month later that she moved out because she married her long term boyfriend who she was with for 5 years. Her mom had never heard of me, and the older
woman I met must have been an actor portraying her mom. Confused the hell out of me for years.

Story 3:

My mom shows up at my grandmother’s house randomly. They’ve been estranged for a few years. My mom is 57, and my grandmother is 75. My grandmother says she doesn’t want to speak, that she’s getting ready for work, and to call if she needs to talk. My mother proceeds to scream at my grandmother, then puts something on my grandmother’s car and leaves.

It’s a paternity test, saying her father is not her father. © JEC2eec / Reddit

Story 4:

I had a little crush on this girl. After a couple of months, we started texting each other. After a few weeks, things started to get more serious, and she asked me to send a picture, so I did. We have a mutual friend who has a phone number similar to mine.

She thought she was talking to the other friend, who was a girl. So, not only did she not know it was me, but I also found out she was not interested in men. © BeeHammer / Reddit

I got a concussion at wrestling practice. I drove home (really bad idea, I was seeing like three roads but wasn’t coherent enough to realize that was a bad idea if that makes sense), called my parents, and went to the hospital. Turns out, I not only had a really bad concussion, but I also had spinal meningitis. The doctor said that if I hadn’t gotten there when I did, and had I continued to wrestle, I could have gotten seriously ill. © DGD11 / Reddit

Story 6:

We were together for 8 years, married for 3. She cheated on me while draining our bank account and met the girl on Tinder. I just found all this out. It happened while I was sitting at home with our dog, doing his laundry, and planning our anniversary trip. © cucumberbun / Reddit