29 Of The Most Shocking Secrets People Were Told

3.

“I was like 5, so it was less jarring, but I went to my grandmother’s house, ostensibly to show off the first tooth I ever lost, and there was an old man there who I’d never seen before. My mom and grandmother were basically like: ‘Tada! This is your grandfather!’ I was like OK, I guess he just fell from the sky and now I have a grandfather. When I was a teenager, I learned the full story, which has a pretty wild component. My grandparents were very Catholic — like truly didn’t believe in divorce. And my grandmother, as wonderful as she was to have as a grandmother, was a very hard person to have as a wife or mother. So, my grandfather had an affair. My grandfather and mother had a close relationship, and his mistress was jealous. I assume she saw my mom as the reason my grandfather wouldn’t leave his wife (they could’ve been childless though, but neither would have been willing to divorce). So, she started stalking my mom.”

“She would call the house and her work, and hang up or whisper weird stuff and threats in the phone. My mom got suspicious, eventually found out, and told my grandmother. Both were mad as hell. My grandmother kicked my grandfather out, and both of them cut all contact with him. This happened like 10 years or so before I was born. But, here’s the wild part: HE LIVED NEXT DOOR THE ENTIRE TIME. 

My great-uncle (grandmother’s brother) lived right next to my grandmother, and my grandfather moved in with him. It must say a lot about him respecting boundaries, because I never heard him or caught sight of him whenever I was at my grandmother’s or my uncle’s house. I imagine it was really hard for him. My uncle’s windows looked right into my grandmother’s yard. I can’t imagine what it’s like to watch your children and grandchildren exist right under your nose and not be able to talk to them. Anyway, at some point, they all decided to reconcile. The day I met him, he had already moved back into the house. I’m glad, because he was amazing. He passed when I was 8, but in those three-ish years, he became (and remains to this day), one my favorite people on the planet.”

—u/chickpeas3