A woman’s life has been upended after a home DNA test uncovered a family secret hidden for nearly three decades. Eager to know more about her family history, she had no idea that the test would reveal something that would tear her family apart.
In a Reddit post, the 28-year-old wrote: “I was curious about my heritage and thought it’d be cool to connect with distant relatives. When the results came back, I was matched with a woman in her 30s. The system said we were likely half-siblings. I assumed it was some kind of mistake. I reached out to her out of curiosity, thinking maybe the connection was on my mum’s side or a distant cousin. She was polite but surprised to hear from me.”
As their online conversation progressed, it became apparent that the match was correct, and they were indeed half-sisters. She continued: “She knew his [her biological dad’s] first name and that he came from a specific town, the same town my dad grew up in.
“I tried to convince myself it was a coincidence, but as we talked more, my gut told me it wasn’t. When I asked about the circumstances, she admitted her mum said her biological father knew about the pregnancy but chose not to be involved. That’s when it clicked for me.”
In search of the truth, she confronted her father about the situation – but he initially denied everything. However, after persistent questioning, he confessed that he had fathered a child with another woman before meeting her mother.
She said: “He explained that her mum didn’t want him involved and he felt it was best to move on and not bring it up. I asked him if he was going to tell my mum, and he begged me not to. He said it would only hurt her and that it had nothing to do with their life together.”
“He insisted the past was behind him, and there was no reason to drag it into the present. I felt sick about keeping such a big secret from my mum, but I tried to sit with it for a while to figure out what to do.”
But unable to bear the guilt, the 28 year old eventually confided in her mother, revealing everything she’d discovered. She said: “She was shocked and heartbroken, not just about the child, but about the years of lies. She said she never would’ve cared about the child if my dad had been honest from the start, but the deception made her question everything.
“She confronted my dad, and things escalated quickly. Now, they’re in the middle of a divorce. My dad says he doesn’t blame me, but I can tell he’s hurt and wishes I’d stayed quiet. My mum says she’s glad I told her but admits it’s been incredibly painful.
“The worst part is, I feel like this is all my fault. My parents seemed happy before this.” She feels her mum deserved to know the truth but can’t shake off the guilt and has turned to social media for advice. One user responded: “You didn’t blow up your family. Your father lied to everyone for years, and that’s what blew up his family.”
Another added: “I can’t imagine this causing a divorce in a stable relationship. This is far beyond your involvement.” A third chimed in: “Your Dad had decades to do the right thing. The only person he has any right to be angry at is himself.”