Everyone has secrets—but some secrets are much darker than others. From taking revenge on enemies to catching people in the most compromising situations imaginable, these confessions are absolutely chilling.
1. Saved His Life
Back in my high school days, a friend harmfully confided in me about their obsession with self-harming. They showed me recent cuts and we had a deeply profound conversation about it. A few days later, I found myself pouring out this secret to our school's counselor.
As a teen, it was a challenging decision, but the fear of losing this friend prevailed. Following this, my friend was sent to a mental care facility for a month. Upon their return, they were totally puzzled about who had spilled the beans.
They suspected it was another friend, and never once considered that it could be me. Still, that wasn't even the craziest part... I later ended up marrying him—and even now, he's unaware who the whistleblower was.
2. Difficult Childhood
Everyone I know is aware that I was raised by foster care due to some tough circumstances early in my life. I keep the details hazy, stating "I don't like talking about it," leading people to assume I was mistreated in some way, which puts an end to their probing.
However, the reality is, for the first seven years of my existence, I was raised as a girl. My birth mother, confused and misguided, had a strong desire for a girl, so much so that even her giving birth to a boy could not sway her from her plans. She was a respected professional in a complex field, who had me with the help of an unnamed sperm donor from a fertility clinic.
Upon finding out that I was a boy during a late ultrasound, she moved us across the country. She gave birth to me at home, and we often relocated until I was about five years old. We had interactions with other people, but we always kept our distance. I had tons of friends, but I was always supervised.
Only later did I realize that my mother's strict form of Christianity was a ruse to justify her firm boundaries concerning my privacy, particularly about not letting anyone see me undress or similar. This was my reality, since I was never allowed to know otherwise. I attended a religious school for girls and enjoyed my childhood without any inkling of the truth.
As a child, I was a bit boyish, more interested in legos and toy animals, rather than dolls. Nobody ever suspected my true gender—not even me. While I was aware of the existence of men and women, I had not seen many people without clothes on. My mother never discussed this with me, but I gathered from my limited knowledge that once I matured, I'd grow womanly features.
To be honest, I didn't ponder much about it. My girlhood was joyful and social, but everything changed one unforgettable day. A teacher at my school accidentally spilled hot coffee over me. Prompt action was required due to my scalding burns, resulting in the school staff removing my hot and wet garments. That was when my secret came out.
Social Services arrived soon after for questioning about my home life and my mother. Meanwhile, my mother was brought in for investigations. She couldn't comprehend my male identity, insisting stubbornly that I was her daughter. Given her delusions, I was removed from home and placed into a foster home and underwent extensive therapy.
Abruptly, I lost everything—my mother, our home, my toys, my clothes. After changing schools, I also lost my friendships. They cut off all my hair and told me I was no longer a girl. The initial foster home was also rough. With three boys and a huge shift from my previously sheltered and religious life, the environment was hostile.
They forced masculinity onto me while I was grappling with my identity. I was misunderstood and felt extremely isolated. All of this pushed me to make an attempt on my own life, first at 11 years old, then again at 13. I felt alienated and misunderstood. After my second attempt, I was moved to a different foster home, which turned out to be a blessing.
I now consider this foster family to be my parents. They advocated for me, starting with letting me grow out my hair which had always been forcibly buzz-cut in the past, a routine I despised. They allowed me to quit karate and football, pursuing swimming and jazz dance instead.
It was the first time someone defended my right to choose my activities and dress sense. It was liberating. Eventually, I developed a healthy understanding of my gender identity. I accomplished my studies, secured a respectable career, and married a supportive woman who means the world to me.
Despite my successes, I am unable to share the truth about my early childhood and how I was brought up as a little girl.
3. A Stinkin' Accident
Once upon a time, I used to work in a mall. On one particular day, as I approached the entrance, I sneezed, and embarrassingly, I had a little accident. The shop I worked at was just a few steps away, so quick thinking was needed. Immediately, I took a sharp turn to my left and headed straight into a clothing store.
At that moment, all I had was $5, so I immediately made my way to the underwear aisle and picked the most affordable pair they had. My next destination was the mall's restroom, where I had to get myself cleaned up. It wasn't a pretty sight. During this whole debacle, I sent a message to my boss, fabricating a story about being stuck in traffic.
In reality though, I was only a few yards away, desperately trying to restore my dignity over the next 20 minutes. I'm happy to report that I emerged successful, and that unfortunate incident has been the measure of every day since. Thankfully, there was nowhere else to go but up.
4. Got A Thing For My Step-Sis
When I was a child, I lived in a cozy rural community with just about 3000 residents. This is where I attended school and did all the typical kid stuff. Interestingly enough, for most of my high school years, there was this girl two years my senior who I was quite smitten with. But, there was a shocking revelation waiting for us.
At the age of 16, I found out that this girl was actually my half-sister. This secret unfolded when she turned 18 and learned about her biological father's identity. My dad, having had an extramarital affair with her mom, turned out to be her dad, unbeknownst to everyone around us.
For a shocking 18 years, this secret was kept under wraps by both my father and her mother. Suddenly came the day when I was confronted with the bewildering fact that the girl I had been crushing on all these years was in fact my half-sister. It was a significant curveball that changed the course of my teenage years and beyond.
5. Mission Successful
Back in my sixth-grade years, we had a fun math exercise being organized by our class teacher. The game was simple — teams comprised of two students were to estimate the number of jelly beans contained in a large glass jar. The team that made the closest guess would be declared the winner, earning them the entire jar of beans.
Before classes began, you could see kids flocking around this jar trying to count the beans one by one, hoping to get ahead in the competition. In the midst of this, our teacher accidentally dropped a golden hint. Apparently, the exact number of beans in the jar was jotted down on paper and tucked under the jar's lid.
With this information at my disposal, I hatched a master plan. I partnered with Nate, my classmate, promising to share my prize with him if he played along. The scheme was set into motion when we were heading for lunch. Nate was to tell the teacher that his lunch box was missing and rush back to the class to fetch it.
Once he'd managed to sneak back alone, he was to open the jar and get a glance at the coveted number. There were, of course, some terms on this risky endeavor. First, the number sleuth had to be anyone but him, considering it would raise suspicion if he was found alone in class. Moreover, I advised him against entering the exact number for the same reasons.
To make it believable, we'd need to miss the precise count by a smidgen. As the plot unfolded, we emerged victoriously, securing the jelly bean treasure by week's end. When it was time to honor my end of the bargain with Nate, I handed him just a fistful of beans.
Understandably upset, he protested that this wasn't the deal, but all I could retort was, "Well, what are you going to do about it?" Subsequently, I indulged myself in a 300-bean feast spanning three days. Admittedly, I don't come across as the most charming character in this sixth-grade narrative. However, my innocent greed for sugar was the driving force behind this crafty episode.
Until now, my wife was the only one privy to this little sixth-grade escapade. And ever since, I can't shake off the feeling that she regards me with a touch of suspicion.
Wikimedia Commons, Brandon Dilbeck
6. Clumsy Mess
About a decade back, during my teens, my dad got his hands on a gaming laptop, worth three grand at that time, as a gift. As he had no real purpose for it, he generously offered it to me since I was into this game, World of Warcraft. He made it crystal clear not to keep anything liquid near it as he knew how clumsy I could be.
One evening, I was sitting with a large bowl of cornflakes, placed right next to my laptop, merely because I left my spoon back in the kitchen. During my gaming sessions, I had this habit of snuggling under a blanket. And that night, it turned into a catastrophe.
As I stood up, the blanket hitched onto the bowl, tipping it over, and oh no! The milk went cascading down onto my open laptop. Fear gripped me. Hastily, I switched off the laptop and scrubbed it down like there was no tomorrow, then hit the sack. The inevitable had happened—I'd wrecked the laptop.
It wouldn't power up, but I was too terrified to divulge the details to my dad, especially after his repeated warnings. I fed him a story about how it had been functioning seamlessly just the previous night, although I was clueless about what went wrong thereafter.
To this day, the guilt weighs heavily on my conscience.
7. Strong Gerbil
About fifteen years back, my sister had a pet gerbil. One day, I thought it'd be fun to take it out of its cage and surprise her with it in our living room. However, disaster struck when I slipped on our carpet. The stumble sent the gerbil soaring through the air, and it ended up smacking its head into the wall.
The impact sounded like I'd chucked a golf ball at the wall, and the gerbil lay motionless. Panicked, I quickly put it back in its cage and decided to lay low. However, to my surprise, the gerbil pulled through. Just a few minutes later, it was up and about in its cage again.
The little trooper lived for another two years afterward, all without anyone ever finding out about the accidental fastball pitch I gave it.
8. The Lengths Some People Go Through
I was feeling quite, let's say, enthusiastic, but my family was nearby, so I decided to head off for a shower and have some alone time. That's when it all went wrong. I usually keep a phone case on my cell, but I was without one since my old one had broken.
So, there I was in the shower, about to place my phone in the basket where I keep my wallet and other items on top of the toilet, but I fumbled and dropped my phone on the hard tile floor. The screen was shattered beyond repair. I immediately thought of my dad—telling him the truth about my phone's demise would be a tricky task. So, I hatched a plan.
I finished my shower, got dressed and headed to our basement stairs. I tumbled down the stairs intentionally, getting a few scratches here and there and let my phone take a second fall. Then, with a bruised body, scratched knee and a broken phone, I went back upstairs and told everybody I had accidentally fallen down the stairs and it resulted in my phone getting wrecked.
My family was sympathetic and I didn't get in trouble. Until today, no one knows that my fall down the stairs was self-imposed and not a simple accident. Looking back, I guess I could have just staged the fall without actually getting hurt, but in the heat of the moment, I felt it was necessary to go all the way.
9. Playing Adults
When I was around eight or nine years old, there was a girl who lived next door. She was a couple of years older than me and often took it upon herself to guide me into certain aspects of growing up. One day, she persuaded me to undress and share a bed with her.
Of course, nothing intimate happened—we were too young, and I wasn't mature enough to comprehend the implications or explicit feelings linked with such situations. However, that wasn't the most unsettling part. I recall her lying over me, a moment that I found rather odd at the time.
Looking back now, I realize there was an element of concern in the entire ordeal. This girl had a habit of waving at me from her window, often with nothing on, while I was in my own room. I was completely unaware of the situation's peculiarity. It's something that I kept entirely to myself.
In hindsight, I view it as one of those events that eludes children's understanding due to their innocence.
10. Childhood Trauma
When I was a kid, about eight years old, we kept pet mice. We had one who got pregnant and, to my horror, started to eat her own offspring. This really upset me. I ran in tears to tell my stepdad, very mad at the mother mouse. Why was she doing this? I thought she was a terrible parent. My stepfather's reaction, though, was horrifying.
He decided to put an end to the mother mouse’s life, and chose the worst way to involve me in this act. He filled a sink with water, forced me into the room, and literally guided my hand to hold the poor creature underwater. It remains the most horrifying moment of my life. I remember crying and struggling, trying to pull my hand away. What happened next was even worse.
My stepfather took the surviving baby mice and fed them to our pet fish. I can't recall the fish's name. He might have called it an Oscar, or maybe that was his own pet name for it. This was such a long time ago. My stepdad was a particularly harsh and twisted man. My mom finally left him after he severely hurt her one day.
This is a story that I have kept to myself up until now. There's so much shame and pain in recalling it. I understand that I was just a kid and that he was the one who forced me into this, but that realization doesn't really take away the lingering guilt and sorrow I still feel.
11. A Ladies Man
My dad was a bachelor raising three children all by himself, and as a result, some of my friends' mothers would regularly bring us meals. He always brushed it off, saying that they were just being kindhearted towards a single parent juggling duties. However, one day, after my aunt picked me up from school, I realized there might be more to the story.
As we approached our home, she asked me to stay in the car. My friends' moms stepped outside, both notably underdressed for a casual visit, and my aunt had a heated exchange with my father. I was stunned by the unexpected scene.
However, out of a sense of dread, I never shared this with anyone. One of these women was divorced, which was less complicated, but the second was still married. I was terrified that revealing this secret could result in the devastation of her family. This is a secret which I've decided to hold onto until the end.
12. Giving Her Best
Being a stepmom to my seven-year-old stepson feels like an uphill battle that's wearing me down. My husband, who I adore, brought a lot into my life, including a son with severe behavioral issues. He lives with us most of the time and his mom's inconsistent presence and influence only compounds the problem.
My patience and love get tested daily because, in spite of my best intentions, I continually confront fatigue. His disruptive behavior ranges from destructive tantrums—smashing toys, tearing down curtains, puncturing walls—to a blatant disrespect for others' belongings.
I could share numerous instances, but one event sums up the norm: I splurged on a pair of pajamas he coveted, and an hour after their arrival, they sported three gaping holes. Each item I decorate our home with seemingly becomes another casualty.
However, it's not just material things. There's an unsettling level of disregard for others too. When our dog jumped on me causing me to hit my head, he found it humorous, remaining apathetic even after his dad's intervention. Even pets are not safe from harm around him—an incident with a family pet during a visit has led them to distance themselves from us.
His malicious acts are surpassed only by his hurtful words, delivered without remorse. When confronted about his behavior, his chilling response was a revelation of deriving pleasure from others' distress. While he operates under a charming facade around those unfamiliar with his nature, we're left dealing with the reality of his deceit, constant fury, and lack of empathy.
This dreaded thought crosses my mind whenever I read about children causing harm to their parents: Could I be sharing a home with a future perpetrator? Having given up my job to become his full-time caregiver, we're struggling to find a solution despite engaging in counseling and medical consultations. His situation is not improving; in fact, it seems to be escalating.
I've been pushed to my emotional limits, having suffered a mental breakdown leading me to contemplate taking my own life. I now rely on anti-depressants, anxiety medication, and frequent therapy sessions to stay afloat. Living with this constant pressure and helplessness leaves me drained and despondent.
I try to be candid about the strain, but expressing my resentment and the growing difficulty in loving him feels like toeing the line of being a bad stepmother. Yet, I hawkishly correct his misbehaviors, heap praises for any positive actions, and cherry-pick moments to express my love, hoping to make a difference.
It's exasperating though, uprooting my entire self for a cause that shows no signs of progress or improvement.
13. Parents’ Permission First
When I was around six or seven, I remember one night vividly in my grandfather's rural town. I was outside playing late at night with my sister and some family friends. Our parents were inside the fence. They couldn't exactly see us, but I guess they felt we were safe since we were in a group.
Now, two men came up to us from the nearby bar and singled me out. One of them started asking me some personal questions. Then they tried to get me to leave with them. Truth be told, I almost went with them. My curiosity was piqued, and this was just around the time my parents were divorcing.
I think some unpleasant things were happening back then. Although I barely remember much from my childhood, this memory sticks out. Thank heaven I had the good sense to tell them I wanted to ask my parents first. This made them lose their nerve, and they left. Unfortunately, this wasn't the last time something like this nearly happened before I turned nine.
14. Bad Trade
When I turned 13, there was this notorious kid in our area who had a knack for shoplifting. At that time, I had just picked up smoking. A local gas station had just started its operations, and back then, they used to leave bundles of the packs out in the open. This kid used to snatch these at will.
So, I asked him if he could filch a pack for me too. He agreed, but he wanted something in return. He had his eyes on my Gameboy, but I assured him I had something even more valuable to barter. However, my next step is something that haunts me to this very day. I decided to trade one of my mom's rings.
I snuck into her room, tiptoed to her jewellery box and took out a solitary diamond ring. I handed it over to this guy and he, in turn, gave me a box of cigarettes. Even after all this time, I keep consoling myself by saying the ring was just another piece of imitation jewellery. But the truth is, I don't really know. Mom, if you're reading this, I'm truly sorry.
15. Gatorade Guy
Back during my first year of high school, I was chilling out in the lunchroom, enjoying a red Gatorade. This girl walks up, claiming I'm in her seat. So, without skipping a beat, I grab my drink and start looking for another spot. All of a sudden, my not-as-tight-as-I-thought Gatorade lid decides to betray me, and my drink ends up drenching her white pants.
Mortified, I played it cool and made a hasty retreat while she was left dealing with a Gatorade fiasco. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I get invited to a friend's house for a little bit of League of Legends gaming. Lo and behold, who should return home but the very girl I had accidentally drenched in Gatorade!
At this point, I'm pretty much scared out of my wits. But to my relief, she either really didn't remember me or decided to play it cool. Not a word about our cafeteria meeting was ever said, and my friend—her brother—remains blissfully unaware of it to this day. Though, every now and then, I can't shake off this niggling feeling.
Maybe she’s not as forgetful as she pretends to be. Maybe she's just biding her time, planning some elaborate payback for the Gatorade incident from all those years ago.
16. Love At First Bite
Back when I was a kid, my grandmom on my dad's side had a pair of dogs—Tessa, a slightly ditzy Maltese, and Bindi, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Tessa was nice and playful, probably because she was not smart enough to be mean. We would always have fun with her when we visited Grandma. But Bindi was another story.
She was always kept in a separate part of the house, my mom would often say, "Bindi doesn't like children". This fear towards dogs like Bindi wasn't irrational, because my mom had to put down our aggressive family dogs after I was born due to their behavior toward me—they would act aggressively whenever they saw me.
During my childhood, we had to maintain a kind of "airlock" system, always keep two doors between me and the dogs. Time passed, and Grandma moved to the house just behind ours. We put a gate in between our fences, and suddenly, Bindi was now in our close proximity. We maintained our respectful and wary distance from Bindi, well most of the times.
One day, I was in the garden playing "circus" with my incredibly patient Labrador, KD. He was amazing, he would get angry only if you pretended to be a horse, he just hated them. As I was playing, Bindi wandered into the yard. Seeing this, I attempted to include her in our game, running towards her. But this scared her, and she ended up biting me.
It wasn't a severe bite, no blood, but there were teeth marks and a small bruise. I was terrified and upset and hid away in my cubby house until I could regain my composure. I knew better than to tell my mom about the incident. I didn't want to face the trouble for playing with Bindi. For the next several weeks, I avoided Bindi. If she came close, I'd walk away.
Then, somewhere down the line, things changed. Bindi started following me everywhere. She became my constant companion, always by my side. We'd lounge on the couch together—she became my best friend for the next four years until she passed.
My parents were always amazed at this miraculous transformation in Bindi, from an old grumpy dog to a lovable oversized lapdog. Even after her passing, they often talked about her change of heart. It wasn't until years later, when I was well into my twenties, that I revealed to my mom that Bindi's affection towards me might have been due to the guilt she felt for biting me.
17. Didn’t See Anything
I used to take my pet for a stroll on a countryside lane right next to my residential neighborhood. This path, scattered with trees on both sides and located adjacent to several people's back gardens, offered a suitable space to seek refuge from social encounters. That's why I always considered it a sort of unofficial walkway immersed in nature.
On one particular morning, as I sauntered down this lane, I stumbled upon two of my neighbors, each married to someone else. I couldn't believe my eyes. They were in a tight embrace, their bodies entwined in a passionate kiss. It was blatantly clear that they were headed down a path that typically ended up in physical intimacy.
They were so lost in each other that they remained blissfully unaware of my approach until my pet decided to break the silence with his barks. In the awkward silence that followed, we cast glances at one another, the tension palpable in the air. No words were spoken as the pair quickly scampered away in the direction of their individual homes.
Mind you, we all resided in the same neighborhood and were acquainted, but I didn't hold any personal relationship with either the two caught up in the romantic escapade or their respective partners. In a nutshell, I chose to retain the secret of their tryst, keeping my lips sealed about the incident I had inadvertently witnessed.
The couple in question never addressed the situation either. I remain clueless whether the romantic rendezvous was a spur-of-the-moment incident or something they had been nursing on the sly for a while.
18. Saved A Life
I experienced the heartbreaking loss of my baby at 24 weeks. She was born prematurely, only surviving for four hours and twenty-one minutes. Although her birth was planned and greatly desired, there's a part of me that feels relief about her passing. If she had lived, I might have been tied to her awful father forever.
Today, she would be turning ten, and I can't help but wonder how different my life might be if she were still alive. However, I bear a painful awareness of the potential difficulties my life would have held if her father had remained a part of it. An enormous earthquake happened and the force of the quake lifted me up and dropped me onto my stomach.
This awful event caused my water to break at just under 21 weeks, and a few weeks later, I went into premature labor. The pain of losing her is immense. But in retrospect, I find gratitude in the midst of my grief. I guiltily acknowledge that I feel thankfulness for this outcome.
This is not a sentiment I would ever confess to anyone I talk to face-to-face. It's a secret that I keep hidden deep inside, a shadowy shame.
19. No Privacy
When I was around 14 or 15 years old, I'd often indulge my imagination by tuning into some music and envisioning myself as a character in one of my favorite cartoons, like Teen Titans, Totally Spies, or Hamtaro.
One day, I was so engrossed in crafting this bizarre, yet fascinating crossover of the shows, bounding across my room, lost in my own world. But there was something I didn't know. It turns out, my brother had noticed my antics from prior days and had decided to subtly observe me from my closet.
He watched me, amused by my blend of the shows as I softly quoted lines of the characters. When I realized he was there, my initial instinct was a surge of embarrassment, which prompted me to playfully attack him. Rather than being startled, his response was fit of laughter, rendering him nearly breathless!
That little adventure remained our secret, and even though it's been a while, I still feel a twinge of embarrassment every time I recall it.
20. Who Did It?
During one summer, my mom, my younger sister, and I travelled to my mother's hometown in Mexico. Our journey came right on the heels of the horrific plane crash in Durango. Our travel destination was close to the accident area which had me deeply worried. This, coupled with the time difference from home, had me losing a lot of sleep for days after our arrival.
Our stay was at our great uncle's house, where my sleeping arrangement was a futon on the floor. My sleep troubles combined with the time zone change had me awake quite late into the nights. During one late night, I heard the sharp burst of a gunshot.
Coming from a hazardous neighborhood back home, such sounds were not unfamiliar to me. However, two more blasts echoed and they sounded much closer. Nobody else seemed disturbed, so I lay there thinking perhaps a tipsy reveler was the cause. I tried to brush it off and go back to sleep. The next day, my mom enquired if I'd been awake the previous night.
When I told her about the strange sounds I'd heard, her face lost color. She told me that the adjacent neighbor had taken his wife's life that night. The news spread fast in our small town, everyone knew each other, and the perpetrator was promptly taken in by the authorities.
Did anyone else get hurt during that incident apart from the wife? My mom said no. One would think that I should have felt relief knowing what had caused those two loud bangs. Yet, I couldn't stop thinking about the first shot, which had sound so different from the rest.
Who could've fired that first round? Was it the wife trying to protect herself? Or, did another unfortunate incident occur concurrently that went unnoticed by the townspeople? I seemed to be the only one questioning that first shot, as everyone else was discussing only the final two loud bursts.
My attempts to figure out if anyone else had heard it were futile. Everyone in this tight-knit community seemed to think they knew everyone else and everything they were capable of. Yet, the shocking incident had been completely unforeseen. I don't know if I ever want to find out the entire truth about that night.
21. Missing Notebook
A week before I finished high school, we had a huge fire at our family home. Our house was in the countryside, and since nobody was around, the fire had already done a lot of damage by the time someone saw it. The flames were taller than our roof, about thirty feet high. We lost all our possessions in the blaze, but thankfully everyone was safe and we had insurance.
At the time, I was taking a chemistry course where 70% of our total grade was based on a lab notebook, that was checked and scored only once, at term's end. We had weekly labs which we'd then summarize in this notebook. I wasn't exactly on top of this task and had a lot of catching up to do, which would have called for a few nights of non-stop work just to hand something in.
The day following the fire incident, I went to class and spun an enormous fib to my teacher—I told him my lab notebook got burned in the fire and I didn't know how I would ever submit the assignment. He was really understanding, told me not to fret and credited me with a full score for the task.
He said that I had other more important things to think about, plus I was about to graduate and he wished my family well. But here's the twist. The notebook was safe in my car the whole time. I promptly disposed of it and made a pact with myself never to mention it.
22. Caution Wet Floor
When I was around seven, my dad brought me to Blockbuster, and boy did I have to use the bathroom. Unfortunately, Blockbuster didn't have any restroom facilities. In a flash of complete terror, I ended up doing the most humiliating thing you could ever imagine—I relieved myself right there in one of the aisles.
I'm almost positive that the security cameras captured my little accident, but luckily, there wasn't anyone nearby to witness it. That's an experience I'm taking to my grave.
23. That’s Nasty!
I discreetly tampered with my father's Bacardi bottle, a beverage he reached for every evening. During my youth, he was what I perceived to be a severe drinker. Whenever his actions were less than admirable I'd have this tiny feeling of triumph tucked away that regardless of his words or deeds, he unknowingly ingested my mischief. Yup, I used his bottles as a toilet.
This secret is my greatest deception to date, and consequently, I deem it to be the wisest choice I've ever made.
24. If Only They Understood
My mom isn't comfortable with the fact that I'm taking medication to manage my anxiety. In her view, it's harmful to my health and may bring about more issues later. Whenever she mentions this, I just assure her that the doctor prescribed it to me, and it wasn't some spontaneous decision I made by storming into the doctor's office saying, "I want to be on meds".
The reality is far more complex, though. I have a background of experiencing panic attacks which have often led to self-injury and dark thoughts. The main reason behind my medical treatment is to keep these severe attacks at bay and to reduce my urge to harm myself. However, she isn't aware of this, and I don't intend to share it with anyone else in my family.
It's something I've decided to keep confidential, a secret I intend to keep to myself for life.
25. Ruined Christmas
Last Christmas, my mom had a bit too much holiday cheer. She'd already cooked tons of food, and still had more in the works. It's always just the two of us for the holidays, just me and her.
One of the things she'd prepared was a heaping portion of pork and she offered me a taste. I agreed, but she'd already drank so much, she had reached a point where she couldn't even slice a piece from it. Back then, at just 17, I hadn't had much experience with drinking, so I didn't quite grasp the depth of her tipsiness. It gets worse.
Fast forward twenty minutes and she was clumsily trying to get the pork out of the oven, only to have it and all the hot juices splash down onto the kitchen floor. Naturally, she tried to pick things up, but slipped in the spilled grease, falling and striking her head on the floor.
Though the fall didn't knock her out, she was clearly out of sorts and disoriented. I was left with the messy work of cleaning up the fallen food and slick kitchen floor, not to mention helping clear the oil off my mom, and settling her into bed. My Christmas night was then spent tidying the kitchen and scouring our town for an open restaurant.
Unluckily, I came up empty-handed and had to return home without grabbing a bite to eat.
26. For The Oopsies
When I was a kid, around nine years old, my dad and I stumbled upon a magazine subscription card while leafing through Reader's Digest. The ad was for a complimentary box of Depends adult diapers. It sparked an idea—a colossal prank. So, we cheekily filled in my uncle's name and address on the card and eagerly dropped it in the mailbox.
A few weeks later, my uncle received the unexpected shipment. Confused and somewhat annoyed, he dialed all family members in hopes of unmasking the prankster. Despite the heat, my dad and I managed to keep our giggles and the truth to ourselves.
To this day, the family hot potato remains the other uncle, while the real culprits enjoyed their harmless mischief undetected.
27. One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure
Around two decades back, I was on the payroll of a major publishing house. It was a time when they were upgrading their technology and tossing the old tech into a dumpster. Curious, I asked one of the security guards if I could rescue some of the items from the dumpster since they were eventually going to be crushed.
One night, I loaded up my car with an assortment of beige G3/Quadra Apple Macs, keyboards, mice, and a few 19” Formic monitors that were in the dumpster. Interestingly, some of these Macs were loaded with applications like QuarkXPress and Photoshop. I decided to spruce them up and put the entire collection up for sale.
The sale went so well that I managed to earn enough to purchase a G4 Quicksilver, which I proudly own even today. However, this episode remained a secret. None of my coworkers, not my ex-spouse, nor my managers, or anyone else for that matter knew about it.
28. Hand-Me-Downs
While I was still a high school student, my mom left me on my own to move to another state with her new husband— a man whose behavior towards her was disheartening.
Three years went by until I finally reconnected with them. In a gesture that seemed like a peace offering, they handed me the keys to one of his cherished possessions—a car. But here was the catch.
As a 20-year-old working a minimum wage job in Washington DC, there was no way I could afford the necessary costs attached to car ownership— registration, required inspections, insurance, running costs and taxes. I simply couldn't foot the bills.
Despite my resentment towards my stepdad, I woefully sold the car. A co-worker with a large family who desperately needed a vehicle was the buyer. To add salt to the wound, I sold the car at around 10% of its actual market value.
I then reached out to my mom and stepdad. Crafting a story about an accident, I told them the car had been damaged beyond repair and towing it had cost me $400. I mentioned that my insurance covered only a fraction of the cost.
That has been my deepest secret for 11 years now. Even after all this time, it's a burden I still bear.
29. Hello, It’s Me
To the best of my recollection, this odd incident occurred during the heyday of the dial-up internet. Just to give you some context, I'm now 29 years old. But let's rewind a bit, shall we?
A phone call came through and I, being the young lad I was then, picked it up. It was a man on the other end of the line, explaining in cold detail about an affair between his wife and my father. It was a rather unusual situation, to say the least.
At that moment, two things happened; first, I hung up, and second, I vowed then to keep it all to myself. I broke the silence a year ago though when finally, I confided in my therapist. Surprisingly, the revelation hasn't rattled me excessively. It remains in my memory as an outwardly strange chapter of my life.
30. Do Not Try This At School Kids
Back when I was in the fourth grade, I pulled a little prank on one of my pals. He had once mentioned that he couldn't stand mustard. So, naturally, I decided to squeeze some into his burger. The thing is, it turned out he was actually allergic to the stuff. He didn't show up to school for the next three days.
I was terrified that my joke had made him seriously ill, maybe even worse. To this day, nobody knows that I was the one responsible. Here's to hoping it stays that way.
31. Bros Before Everything
When I was in high school, I found it really tough to interact with people—you could say I was the quiet, shy kid. Then I discovered that my cousin also attended the same school and, much like me, was struggling to fit in. Even though he was funnier and more outgoing than I was, he, too, found it hard to click with others, except me.
We became the best of friends and lunchtimes were often filled with laughter and camaraderie. One day, a girl invited me to go for sushi and I was thrilled. However, plans with my cousin to hang out, a tradition of sorts, were already set for that day. I appreciate now that what I did next was a mistake—I ditched him.
I justified it by telling him, "This really cute girl has asked me out for sushi". Despite being visibly upset, he said, "Cool, go and enjoy". When it was time for lunch, I left with the girl. But soon some other kids approached, said they were going out to eat somewhere else, and there was only space for one more person in their vehicle.
Without even a second thought, the girl agreed and left me standing there. I felt so ashamed and scared to even walk through the school corridors, fearing I'd bump into my cousin. The thought of telling him what just happened was scarier still. As I passed by the library, I saw him, all alone, just passing time. My heart ached at the sight.
I had abandoned him—and that was something I never would repeat. Remember, blood is thicker than water.
32. Special Treatment
Once, I accidentally struck a kid with special needs in the face when we were in the school restroom. Allow me to explain. I was using the restroom when suddenly he snuck up behind me and grabbed my neck. While he didn't squeeze or choke me, his grip was uncomfortably tight.
Startled, I finished up quickly and instinctively swung my arm, hitting him. He ran away, tearfully headed to his class, while I simply returned to mine.
33. Nature’s Calling
For two consecutive days during my second grade, I wet my pants due to my teacher's strict policy of not allowing students to use the restroom, even during our free time in class. On the third instance, I desperately pleaded with her for 10 minutes until she reluctantly granted me permission. However, on my way to the restroom, I had my third accident.
My family only became aware of one instance, but truth be told, I'd experienced this embarrassment two other times during my first week at school. Following this, I carried a water bottle with me and used it for relief during her lessons for the rest of the year.
I think she believed that allowing children to use the bathroom during class was akin to giving them permission to misbehave. However, given that I'd yet to make friends, there was absolutely no chance of me partaking in any antics. In retrospect, if I could travel back in time, I'd advice my younger self to defy her and wet her desk.
In my view, this act of rebellion would have been less mortifying than the reality of wetting my pants three days in a row.
34. Secret Santa
One Christmas season, when I was just nine years old, I had already grasped the truth that Santa was a myth. However, for my seven-year-old brother, Santa was as real as the snowflakes falling outside our window. We were roommates back then.
On that Christmas morning, he woke up, puzzled by the uneaten Kit Kat we had eagerly left out for Santa. His eyes were clouded with confusion, and I could tell he was trying to make sense of it all. When he got distracted, I swiftly ate the Kit Kat, then showed him the empty wrapper, insisting he must have just misremembered seeing it unopened.
That cunning episode happened 26 years ago, and till today, I've never confessed the truth. I'm afraid he might piece together the truth about Santa.
35. Free Drinks
When I was just a kid in primary school, there was this one time I misplaced something and had to visit the lost and found. The lost and found was actually a large storage closet that also held soda cans for the vending machines. I remember taking one.
After that, I found myself "remembering" about 3-4 times a week that I had lost something, just so I could sneak another Coke. I'm not sure how long I kept this up, but let's just say I scored a whole lot of free Cokes.
36. Bring That Time Back
When I was an 8-year-old kid, my Grandma and I had a special routine every Saturday. Like clockwork, we'd sit down and watch our usual VHS tape of Moonstruck—a movie that, truth be told, I couldn't stand. But I never admitted this to Grandma.
After the movie, we'd relish some sweet ice cream and then tune into Saturday Night Live—the Opera man era to be precise! How dearly I wish I could again watch Moonstruck with her.
37. Crisis Avoided
Back in the fourth grade, there was a day when I didn't hand in my homework and the teacher didn't ask for it. The next time I had to give in my assignment, I started to panic. I feared she would see that her signature was missing on the earlier assignment. So I did something that I'll never forget.
So, when my parents were asleep, I snuck out the notebook and put check marks on the pages I hadn't turned in. I also faked her signature and dated it for the previous week. She didn't get suspicious, and up until now, I've kept this little secret to myself.
38. Hard One To Clean
When I was just a teenager of fourteen, I had an unfortunate accident. I'd mistakenly stepped on some dog muck, and my shoe was pretty gross. While trying to clean it from my shoe, it somehow ended up smeared across our school's second floor.
Then, while in the bathroom hoping to scrub my shoe clean, I ended up staining the room with poop residue and grass bits‚—inadvertently spreading that unpleasant odor all over the place. Ah, those high school days! Not a soul knew I was the culprit.
39. Kid’s Innocence
When I was 11 years old, my friend who was a year older took advantage of me in an inappropriate and harmful way. He coerced me into performing intimate acts that were truly distressing, something I wasn't prepared for or understood at such a young age.
He tried to normalize his behavior, and to this day, he identifies as possibly bil or gay. As for me, I identify as a cis male, and the emotional scars from this childhood experience has made it impossible for me to openly discuss this incident with anyone.
40. It’s A Win-Win Situation
Earlier this year, I pulled a fun prank on my friend by sending them a massive toilet paper roll holder. You know the best part? They still have no idea it was me! Their phone call to our friend group trying to figure out the culprit was absolutely hilarious. The cherry on the cake was that I had it delivered under the funny pseudonym "Mr Dirtay Bootay".
41. Right Under Their Nose
I'm the reason why collectibles like pogs, cards, and similar items are banned from my old elementary school. Back when I was eleven years old, I was an ideal student. I was bright, scored the highest grades, and was teachers' favorite.
Despite these achievements, I was a bit of a tomboy and wasn't conventionally "pretty," which made me a target for getting picked on. One day, I decided I'd had enough and concocted a plan to reclaim some dignity: I snatched over three hundred Pokemon pogs from the meanest kid
My plan was simple. I told a teacher I wasn't feeling good and might vomit, then used the excuse to slip back into our classroom during recess. I stashed a large bag of the swiped pogs at the back of a cupboard, then casually went out to join my friends, ensuring I had an alibi.
The scene was tense that day as every single backpack was inspected and each student was questioned individually before being dismissed. It took a month of patient waiting before I decided to retrieve the hidden bag of pogs. Then, I started to quietly sell them back to my classmates, including the very kid I'd taken them from.
Not a single soul knew the truth about the pog heist except me. It was such a big deal at the time that to this day, more than a decade later, bringing such collectibles to school is banned due to risk of confiscation.
42. What’s Her Name?
For nearly a decade, I was unaware of my best friend's actual name. She had always gone by Katie, and she made me believe it was short for Katelyn. You can imagine my shock when I heard her being called "Kathryn" at our graduation ceremony. That's not something you can casually bring up in a chat.
43. Never Too Old To Learn
Till today, I honestly have no clue how to ride a bike.
44. Odd Booger
For several years, I surreptitiously placed my boogers on the wall next to my little brother's bed. He continuously faced the blame for it while I went scot-free.
45. No Sharing, No Caring
During pre-school, a mom or dad had generously brought fruit roll-ups for every kid in the class. But somehow, all these treats went missing while we were busy playing in the gym. I must admit, I secretly feasted like royalty after lights-out that week. Those were some epic times—some of the best days ever.
46. Was A Blast
About a decade ago, when my brothers and sisters and I were on our family holiday, I was the one who put a firecracker into the toilet, causing it to break into pieces. That year we had invited a family friend to join us, and to save myself, I put the blame on them. But truth be told, it was actually me.
47. Smart Work
I'm fluent in a couple of languages. So, whenever I'd get assigned a new essay, I'd look up the subject in my native language, transcribe it meticulously into English, and then hand it in. Thus far, not a single instance of my work being flagged for plagiarism has come up.
48. Your Secret Is Safe With Me
When I was a teenager, I spent a night in the guest room of my best friend's house. I was sharply awakened around 2 am by the sound of her elder brother returning home from a party, slightly worse for wear. He noticed me in the guest room, propped himself up against the doorway, and managed a mumbled "Hi" before he staggered down the hallway to his room.
Despite this, he forgot to turn off the hallway light, which was keeping me from falling back asleep. After tossing and turning for about fifteen minutes, I decided to turn off the light myself. As I flicked the switch off and began my journey back to sleep, I couldn't help but glance into his room as I passed.
His door was open, and what I saw next was simply unbelievable. He was at his computer, only clothed from his waist up, and seemed to be enjoying an inappropriate film. I believe I made a sound because suddenly, he turned around and saw me standing there, frozen in shock.
Instinctively, I darted back to my room, but couldn't shake the image from my mind. After about five minutes, I heard him stealthily walking down the hallway towards me. I thought to myself, "Oh gosh, brace yourself".
Looking embarrassed and uneasy, he paused in the doorway to apologize for the unexpected sight and pleaded with me not to mention this incident to my friend, his younger sister. I promised him I wouldn't say a word and assured him it was alright. Then, I just asked him to go back to bed.
To this day, they can't put a finger on why he's still single. They suspect that he might have feelings for me because he tends to act somewhat awkward in my presence!
49. He Deserved It
In high school, I held my first job for a few years. Then this new guy shows up and spreads false stories about me to our boss. Instead of questioning me, the boss just fired me on the spot. Infuriated, I decided to take actions into my own hands.
During this guy's next shift, my best friend and I surreptitiously positioned big nails against all his tires. The plan was for him to drive off, puncturing his tires. I later heard that he had to replace all four. That incident happened 20 years ago, and yet, whenever I see him around town, I still can't help but give him a skeptical look.
50. Locked Secret
In 4th grade, I lived with my aunt. Our house was a duplex, and we shared the backyard with the neighbor who lived downstairs. There was a cardinal rule in our household: always ensure that the gate latch is closed. This was to prevent our dog from sneaking out. I was typically diligent about keeping the gate locked.
However, one unfortunate day, I forgot. Our dog escaped and was, tragically, mauled to death by the neighbor's much larger dog. I was afraid and, instead of confessing, pointed fingers at the neighbor. In response, my aunt directed her anger towards him. She would seize every opportunity to scorn him, never knowing the true story.
I was just too fearful to tell her what had really occurred.
51. All About The Money
During the summer months of my childhood, my brother and I used to spend most of our time with our country-dwelling aunt and uncle. This was always a joyous time as we could hang out with their four sons who were close to us in age and engage in all sorts of youthful shenanigans.
One such summer, when I was eight, my oldest cousin, who was around 16, brought up an odd proposition: He asked if I wanted to spend the night in his room. With hindsight, I realize now that this was a bad idea. His room was more elaborate than the others, with a comfortable bed, so naturally, I was excited about the proposition.
Once I was in his bed, I found myself doing things with him I was uncomfortable with. After a while, I mustered the courage to say no and somehow managed to sleep that night, my mind ablaze with confusion.
Morning rolled in and my cousin handed me some cash, sternly advising me to keep quiet about the previous night's events. The same scenario played out the following night as well, and by now, manipulated by the allure of money, I agreed to his request.
To my anguish, this ordeal went on for two tormented summers, until I grew old enough to confront the gravity of the situation, the wrongness of it all, regardless of the cash incentives. At that point, I decided that enough was enough and put an end to it.
I have since been living with this dark secret, a secret I've never shared with anyone. Our lives have moved on; He's now a family man with a wife and two kids, and so am I. We cross paths occasionally at family gatherings. Yet, I've lacked the courage or even the vocabulary to confront him.
I'm at a loss for words, unsure of what to say or how to address him about this.
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