Curiosities
week ago
Grace J.
Sometimes, people aren’t who they seem tobe. They smile, help out, orquietly stay inthe background—while secretly working toward something else. Inthis collection, you’ll read afew real-life stories about individuals who kept their true goals hidden until the very end. These short stories show how quietly clever, strategic, orsurprising someone can bewhen they don’t reveal everything right away.
- When Idivorced myhusband of12years, Iwas sodepressed. Myfriend Ava took mein. She saved mylife.
8years later, Iran into myex. The first thing heasked: “Are you still friends with Ava?” Inodded. Hesmirked.
Hesaid, “Soyou still don’t know that she’s the one who ruined our marriage?” Ifroze when herevealed that the woman he’d had abrief affair with—the one that led toour divorce—was Ava.
Itturns out Ava had felt soguilty for destroying mymarriage that she tried tomake ituptome. She wanted todosomething good, soshe made sureI was okay and asked metomove into her house.
Mywhole reality crumbled. Never inamillion years wouldI have suspected that, behind myback, she was with myhusband—while pretending tobethe perfect friend. Now, I’ve lost mytrust ineveryone.
- After Idivorced myex-wife, Ifound out that she had given away two children when she was younger. Ialso discovered that her tubes had been tied the entire time wewere married. Weeven met with afertility doctor because she kept saying she was “messed uponthe inside.” ©civ187/ Reddit
- Myhusband and his friend came upwith aplan tocatch his friend’s wife cheating. Myhusband had arelationship with his friend’s wife, and his friend “caught” them. She got pregnant and, during the divorce, found out the baby was myhusband’s. Ifound this out after seven years and three kids.©dvs_me/ Reddit
- Ihad two people whoI thought were really good friends. One day, Iwas hanging out with one ofthem, and wewere about togoout, soshe was fixing her makeup. Being too busy totext our other friend about our plans, she asked metodoit.
While texting, Iaccidentally scrolled upinto their previous messages and saw them talking absolute trash aboutme. They were making fun ofthingsI had said, sharing mypictures and mocking them, and just all sorts ofmean-spirited stuff. Inever brought itup.
Thankfully, welater had afalling out, andI don’t associate with them anymore.©margaret0619/ Reddit
Marleina Hershberg
week ago
The falling out should've happened the moment you saw all that.
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Reply
- Inthe first four months ofour relationship, Iwas athis house. Hewent tothe bathroom and left his laptop open, soI looked atitand saw hehad daily messages with awoman. That woman was his best friend’s girlfriend.©Unknown author/ Reddit
- Ihad aclose friendI vented toabout everything—work, relationships, family. Healways listened, never judged. But then peopleI barely knew started repeating details from mylife.
Turns out, hewas sharing mystories tobuild connections with others. Itmade him look wise and thoughtful. Henever used names, but the stories were clearly mine.
When Iconfronted him, heacted like itwasn’t abig deal. Itfelt like hewas using mylife ashis personal PR. After that, Istopped telling him anything personal.
- When myhusband passed away inaworkplace accident, hewas inanother state. When Igot his belongings, there were answering machine messages from awoman thanking him for being soamazing—and for dinner, etc.
Then, onhis computer, there were emails and text messages from several women. Iwas pregnant and already dealing with his death.
Then, suddenly, Ihad this anger athim thatI could obviously donothing with. Everyone toldme, “You can’t bemad atadead person.” But itwas confusing.©missymaypen/ Reddit
- Idiscovered that mynow ex-wife purposefully tried toget herself pregnant with our daughter before wewere married because she knew her mom couldn’t pay for her health insurance anymore, and she didn’t want towork. However, she knew that having ababy could qualify her for the state’s healthcare system.©Schikadance/ Reddit
- Ihad acoworker who always offered tohelp mewith projects. She’d bring mecoffee, offer totake onextra tasks, even complimented mywork toour manager. Ithought she was just incredibly kind and supportive. Then Igot passed over for apromotion I’d been working toward for ayear.
Ilater found out she had been documenting mymistakes and quietly taking credit for joint tasks. Turns out, all that help was just part ofastrategy. She wanted the promotion and played the long game perfectly. She got the job, andI learned topay closer attention.
- After aneight-year friendship, Idiscovered that this person was only friends with mebecause she had few friends and wanted access tomywork connections.©cawfytawk/ Reddit
- When myexandI lived together, Ifound abox with asingle set ofdishes under his side ofthe bed. When Iasked him aboutit, hesaid hewas keeping them just incase hedecided tobreak upwith mesothat hecould leave atthe drop ofahat atany given moment.
Iremember the conversation—he seemed sononchalant about itall. Turned out tobeatotal sociopath.©room_temp_butter/ Reddit
- Our neighbor always brought cookies, checked our mail, and even mowed part ofour lawn. Wethought hewas just anice older man with extra time. But then hestarted suggesting how weshould park, handle trash, even when toturn off lights. Itslowly felt like wewere being managed.
Later, wefound out hewas running for the HOA board. Headmitted hewanted to“make the neighborhood more presentable.” All that kindness was just groundwork. Not creepy—just calculated.
Hegot elected, and werealized ithad been the plan all along.
Sometimes, real life can becreepier than athriller and more suspenseful than anovel. Here are 13true stories sounsettling, they could easily make front-page news.
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