Listen, no one is perfect. Especially not anyone who features as a main character in these stories. From stolen wedding gifts and lies about paternity, to breaking bro code and alimony acrimony, you’ll definitely need a moment of self-care to calm down after reading about some of the biggest jerks ever.
1. The Bad Check
My sister got a huge amount of money from our mom, who is now retired. The agreement was that she would pay it back, but she didn't. Our mother is running out of money now, so we asked our sister to repay at least some of it. I'm still shocked about the nasty thing she did to our mother.
A few months passed and a check landed at mom's door. It was written out to our mom, but for zero dollars. And the worst part? On the note section, it said, 'Get a job'.
2. Tricky Transaction
A few years ago, my grandpa sadly passed away. As my grandma couldn't live by herself anymore, she chose to sell her long-time home of about 50 years. This decision, together with the remaining part of my grandpa's pension, led to her having around $50,000. She trusted my dad to manage all the financial work related to this.
One day, my dad gave her a call to check if she could go to the bank. However, my aunt's new boyfriend answered the call, saying that everything was already handled, and promptly hung up. Immediately we thought something was wrong. We found out eventually that they had deceived my grandma into transferring all her money into their account, without any plans of giving her access to it.
Thankfully, my dad was able to clarify to grandma about what my aunt had done. The bank, who had a high regard for my grandpa, reversed the whole transaction.
3. Mommy, Not Very “Dearest”
Once my dad had completed high school, he decided to join the Marines. Instead of spending his earnings, he decided to send all of his money back home for his parents to either save for him or use if they ever faced an emergency. Sadly, his father passed away and his mom used the money to meet the funeral costs as well as to manage the household bills.
After a while, his mom sold their farm and made a significant amount of money. They resided on the outskirts of a city which over time, became very large and attractive to wealthy individuals who longed for country living. This led these rich folks to be willing to pay a large sum of money for residences like theirs.
Jumping ahead a couple of years, my dad married my mom and then, my little brother came along. Unfortunately, my brother was born with serious respiratory problems and had to be hooked up to a respiratory machine for a whole month. The doctors weren't exactly sure if he would pull through.
Then there was a streak of meanness. My dad, hopeful, approached his mom to borrow some money to settle the enormous medical bills they had incurred. Her response was both shocking and heartless. She declined, telling him that he shouldn’t have had a child if he wasn't able to afford it.
4. The Ex (For Good Reason)
A person I work with had a heartbreaking experience. His son from his first marriage passed away when he was just 14. After his son's cremation, he kept the ashes in a beautiful urn at his home, surrounded by loving photographs. However, one day, as he was going through a tough breakup with his second wife, he returned home from work to find his son's ashes were missing. Even after five years, he's still uncertain about where they could be. He suspects that his ex-wife may have discarded them.
5. Unwelcome Mother-In-Law
After my stepmom passed away, her mother, who had been living with us, found out that my dad was thinking about selling our house. He was planning to move to a smaller place and arrange for her to stay in a seniors' housing complex. She didn't take this news very well at all.
The day my dad was out at work, she took an extreme step. She spread my stepmom's ashes all around our garden.
When my dad returned and frantically looked around for his wife's ashes, she said, "Now you can't leave this house, and you won't be able to make me leave either". It's hard for me to put into words just how much my dad changed after we finally moved out and got her out of our lives.
6. Everything But The Kitchen Sink
Just a few weeks before Christmas, my ex decided to break up with me. It was such a busy time for me as I was working for more than 16 hours a day, I barely noticed. The highlight came on Christmas Day, when she brought her whole family and their vehicles to our house. They were there to take back all the items she considered hers, which, quite frankly, was everything.
Once they had emptied the house, she pulled something that made me want to scream. She went over to the closet and pulled out the gifts I had bought for the children. Then, she said, "The kids can unwrap these at my new house, since there's not even a bed for them to sleep on here. I mean, you'd still want them to have their presents, right"?
7. The Lazy Lumberjack
Once upon a time, my father built a rocking horse for my little niece. He carefully crafted it from different bits of wood, working hard to give the horse a tail and mane by intricately unraveling and braiding ropes together. He even painted it, all by hand. The result was a beautiful plaything that could have been passed down through the family for years to come.
However, what happened to this special toy still haunts me. One chilly day, my niece's dad couldn't be bothered going out to gather firewood. So, he just broke up this lovely rocking horse and tossed it into the fireplace.
8. Off Menu Order
I saw a young girl, probably about 10 years old, placing her order at a restaurant while on vacation in sunny Florida. Once she finished ordering, her mom turned to her and scolded, "You really goofed up again. I put my faith in you this time. You're aiming for a tummy tuck at 20? What's wrong with you!? Excuse me, waiter!... We need a few more minutes. My little girl is a bit mixed up".
This girl wasn't extremely overweight or anything like that. But from her mother's lecture, started tearing up. Soon, she was bawling her eyes out. On top of all this, her mother further shouted at her to stop generating unnecessary drama and bringing embarrassment to her.
At that moment, I, just a 22-year-old guy, was furious, seeing this scene unfold. I was so angry that I contemplated what might happen if I were to step in and teach her a lesson. But of course, I kept my feelings in check and avoided causing a scene.
9. Friends For Never
My friend's wife is well-known for her insensitivity and rudeness. Their daughter is a couple of years older than mine. It was her birthday, and my seven-year-old wanted to choose the present. She often plays with my friend's daughter and has a good sense of her interests. She took time to plan a thorough list and carefully chose the perfect gift.
Fast forward to the birthday bash. My friend's daughter unwraps my daughter's gift, her eyes brimming with excitement, and she shrieks "Thank you"! But the wife's response made my blood boil. She stated, "Darling, grandma already got you one. Just put this one in the box for Goodwill". My daughter was devastated.
I desperately fought the urge to confront my friend's wife. Later, around Christmas time, we decided to do a secret Santa for the kids. My friend selected my daughter's name, but his wife forgot to purchase her gift, and didn't realize until it was time to exchange gifts. I've since cut off contact with them.
10. Mistranslation Of “In Case Of Emergency”
I've got a buddy who was a performer on a cruise ship for half a year. She didn't need much cash on board and kept her flat in Germany, where her landlord was getting paid via direct debit. Once she returned, she found she couldn't unlock her flat's door, so she got on the phone with her landlord.
He mentioned that he'd discarded all her belongings since she hadn't paid her rent after the first month of her cruise. A shocking truth came out. It turned out her parents, who were supposed to only access her bank account in emergencies, had withdrawn all her earnings (which were quite substantial from her cruise ship gig) to cover their bills after spending their own salaries on a pair of new cars.
So, in the end, she found herself without a roof over her head, friendless in the city, battling severe jet lag, and without a dime to her name. All thanks to her parents. This story still ticks me off.
11. False Hope Father-in-law
So, my future dad-in-law got in touch with a housing agent to help us find a new place to live. He wasn't a fan of our apartment at all, constantly saying it wasn't good enough for his grandkids to grow up in. He gave the agent a price range to work with, and also mentioned that he had about $20,000 to help us get a smaller home.
For weeks, I was all over the internet and hitting the pavement, trying to find our perfect place. I was over the moon about the whole idea of getting our own house! When we were finally down to two choices, we asked the soon-to-be father-in-law to come check them out. His input was mostly based on his wealthy outlook, like, he actually said we should factor in "mature trees" because they boost a house's value.
What I found weird? He didn't even look at things like the plumbing or building foundation. That all seemed pretty important to me. But things were about to get way worse. After my fiancé and I got back home and started thinking about our final decision, the housing agent called us. Turns out, when it was time to get things moving on paper, dad suddenly didn't have the cash for this big project. He even said that he never promised to help us out!
12. A Wii-ally Awful Christmas
My cousin has recently divorced his ex-wife. This woman was not well-liked by our family due to her unconventional behavior. They have two children together—a son from her earlier relationship who was raised as my cousin's own, and a daughter she had with another man who unfortunately got involved with her. This particular incident unfolds after their breakup.
The kids received a Wii console as a Christmas gift from their grandparents at their mom's house—it was her turn to host Christmas. When we called them, they were absolutely thrilled about it and promised to bring it over so that we could all play together on New Year's Eve. However, when NYE rolled around, not only was the Wii missing, but the children also seemed rather subdued.
Naturally concerned, I had a chat with the oldest child to find out what was going on. He sadly told me, "I'm sorry we can't play games, but mummy had to sell the Wii because we don't appreciate mummy enough". Something seemed off about this and I continued probing until I discovered the bitter truth. The real story was that their mother had traded in the game console to buy drugs.
13. Cheating (The System) Ex
My former brother-in-law really messed up big time. He and my sister were hitched for 18 years and they've got three kids who are 15, 13, and 11. He just up and left, moving in with another woman who already had two kids. That's the first terrible thing he did. But, he didn't stop there.
He started taking these new kids to his own kids' sports events, and to add insult to injury, he even started calling these new kids by the pet names he once used for his own children, right in front of them.
When my sister's family was young, she was taking care of the kids at home while my ex-brother-in-law had the opportunity to advance his career. Over time, my sister started working part-time and took some courses to become a teacher. During the court hearing for their divorce, the judge stated that he had to provide financial support for his kids, and also for my sister for a couple of years until she got her teaching license and could become financially independent.
He thought he was being clever. He quit his job that was paying him $75K annually so he could say he had no income hence couldn't afford child or spousal support. He even lived off public assistance for five whole years intending to leave my sister high and dry. However, his little scheme backfired.
Turns out, his strategy backfired in the best way. Now, he owes my sister $60K in missed child support payments, plus the initial alimony. What a fool.
14. The Panhandling, Not Pauper, But Prince
One time, my friend and I decided to catch a movie at our local mall. As we were about to grab a parking spot, this rude guy in a flashy BMW zipped in and stole it right from under us. We found another spot close by, at least. My friend was a bit ticked off and wanted to confront him, but I managed to calm him down.
As we were heading towards the mall, we saw that the same guy who had taken our parking spot was pulling out trash bags from his car. There was a bit of an argument between my friend and him, thankfully, it didn't end up in a fight like I was worried about.
Fast forward to about three hours later, we were just on our way out of the theater when we saw a man who appeared to be homeless, asking for any spare change. Feeling compassionate, I threw a dollar in his hat. My friend, however, instantly recognized him and told me, "Hold on, can you see who you just gave money to"?
When I squinted for a closer look, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the same guy who had snatched our parking spot earlier! So, I walked over and took my dollar back from his hat. He got upset and started making a fuss, which attracted a crowd of onlookers who assumed I was stealing money from a homeless man.
I tried desperately to explain to the crowd that the so-called 'homeless man' actually owns a BMW, and even offered to lead them to his parked car. But he kept denying it, and the crowd was starting to get ticked off, I could sense that things were about to get out of hand.
Eventually, I relented and said, "Alright, I'll put the dollar back. But, let me show you something. As I walk past a red BMW in the parking lot on our way out, I'm going to scratch it. If you're curious, come and watch". This seemed to freak him out because he jumped up immediately and made a beeline for the parking lot, even leaving his hat full of change behind.
15. Broken Bro Code
In high school, my best buddies were Jack and Alex. Jack never had much luck with the ladies and he'd been sweet on a girl, Sara, since we were just kids. Alex and I knew this and we'd always hang out together. We three musketeers had been tight for about five years, which plays a big role in this tale.
When twelfth grade came around, Jack had managed to bring Sara into our squad. Even though they weren't officially a pair, he was spending lots of time with her. Probably, that was his master plan to win her over. Jack’s dad took a trip, leaving us with a chance to throw a party for our classmates.
Quite a crowd showed up and it was a real shindig. Jack believed it'd be the night he would finally get close to Sara, bringing a five-year chase to a close. I crossed my fingers for him. As the night drew to a close, Jack was cozying up to Sara, whispering sweet nothings, and cracking her up. It seemed things were going his way.
He shot me a knowing smile and suggested we head out for a smoke before he took the next step. I agreed and we stepped out. He was over the moon, at the concept of finally getting intimate with this girl. Being a first-timer, this was momentous for him. We shared laughs and I patted him on the back for his seemingly imminent success.
When we walked back to the lively party and Sara was nowhere in sight. We searched and asked around. Someone piped up that Sara was with Alex in the bathroom. Our ears confirmed it, they were there. Jack was crushed. He'd put in five years trying to win Sara over.
We stepped back outside where Jack was on the verge of losing it. Alex came out about 20 minutes later, shrugged at Jack, and muttered a careless, "Sorry bro," followed by a chuckle. That fiasco drove a wedge between them for quite some time, which was a sorry mess.
16. Worst Grandma Ever
My former mother-in-law gave my kids lovely presents that they were so excited about one Christmas. However, just a couple of days later, she did something unforgivable. She came over to our home, collected all the gifts she had given to my kids, packed them neatly into bags, and took everything back because she was, and I quote, "Broke".
17. Daddy Issues
When I was 14, my parents got divorced. I moved with my mom to a different state. But after a year, my mom was facing some personal problems and needed a break. She asked me if I'd be okay moving in with my dad for a while; she'd already spoken to him, and he agreed. Plus, I could return to my old high school and aid my mom during her tough time.
Despite some concerns, I agreed and moved in with my dad and his new wife. That decision turned out to be the worst mistake I'd ever made.
Fast forward six months, my dad got into trouble after drinking and driving. He was sentenced to 6-12 months in county jail. Two days after his sentencing, my stepmom told me I had to leave.
Even though my mom promised to cover all my expenses until my dad got out, my stepmom still wanted me to leave. I tried to understand why, but it was tough. I visited my dad in the correctional facility and asked him to help so I wouldn't have to change schools again, especially since he might only be in there for 3-6 months. That's when things went from bad to worse.
In that vulnerable moment, my dad chose to reveal a shocking secret—he was not my biological father. My mom confirmed it afterward. So it was clear; I needed to find a new place to live. Thanks "Dad".
18. The Battle Of Will(s)
My parents used to own two-thirds of our house, with my maternal grandma owning the last third. When my parents divorced, they fought over the house's ownership. Throughout this, my grandma, mom, sister, and I lived together until my grandma died. In her will, she left her part of the house to my mom and nothing for my dad.
In an effort to be fair, my mom offered my Dad all of their joint investments, which were worth about as much as grandma's share of the house. But my dad didn't take good care of these assets, so they lost their value.
Finding himself without valuable assets, he took my mom to court for a part of grandma's share of the house. At the time, my mom was a single mom and couldn't afford a lawyer. My dad, on the other hand, made good money as a miner and could afford legal help.
When my mom went to the bank to get grandma's will, she learned it was mysteriously missing. The bank representative told her this was odd. But without the will as evidence, my father ended up receiving more than half of grandma's share after a bruising court battle.
Later, we found out that my father's brother-in-law worked at the same bank where grandma’s will was stored. I'll let you connect the dots. But without proof, my mom couldn't do anything about it. It was then that I realized my father was mean and selfish. That's when I truly saw him for who he is.
19. No Gifts, Cash Only
My wife is from India, and that's where we tied the knot. Considering the hassle of hauling presents from India to Canada, we preferred cash gifts to physical ones, as we mentioned in the wedding invites. We knew this might come across as less intimate, but we felt it would be more practical.
After our wedding, which was as joyous as it was tiring, we were all set to jet off on our honeymoon the next morning. We chose to leave all our gifts, cash included, back at my mother-in-law's house as we hadn't gotten around to opening them yet. Upon our return from our trip, we found all the cash envelopes missing. It turned out that my mother-in-law had taken the liberty to open them and keep the money.
When confronted, she reluctantly returned a portion of the money, stating bizarrely that many gift-givers had enclosed notes indicating the money was meant for her. However, we never saw these alleged notes, and frankly, it didn't make sense for guests to gift us money only for it to be redirected to her. She even voiced her upset to my parents, accusing me of hurting her feelings by suggesting she was attempting to withhold money from us.
While I didn't push the matter further in the end, it wasn't due to a lack of need for the money. The reason for my inaction was more because my mother-in-law is financially strapped. I had even offered financial aid on multiple occasions prior to this incident which she rejected. What truly upset me was her choosing to take from us, rather than directly accept my help.
20. One Ex And A Baby
This is a story about my buddy and the woman he was living with. She said she was using birth control, but it turns out, she wasn't. Guess what happened? She ended up pregnant—that's what you get when you don't use protection. Then she asked him for money to handle the situation and said she took care of it. But, to his surprise, she never did and only let him know when it was too late to do anything.
Now they have a baby girl in the picture. This woman, his ex, goes off the deep end and decides to move to Florida with their daughter after she wins custody. But then, she realizes she can't handle the child so she returns to the city where my friend lives and essentially drops the kid on him. Just like that. And the kid is already 13.
My buddy then spends four grueling years trying to get her through school, which isn’t easy as she had a habit of throwing tantrums and hurling stuff at him. But he finally manages. The girl graduates from high school and leaves my friend's home only to move back in with her unstable mother.
21. Family Matters
My great grandparents were products of the Depression era, and growing up during that time, they developed a knack for saving. By the end of their lives, they had amassed a considerable amount, close to two million dollars. Their plan was to divide it between my grandfather and my two uncles after they passed.
Unfortunately, this didn't go as they had hoped. Things took a turn when my Uncle Ray decided to play foul. He took advantage of my unwell grandmother and convinced her to sign everything over to him.
Once he came into the wealth, he squandered it all in a few short years, mainly on partying. Sure, he would occasionally splash out on gifts for others, but always with a catch. He'd expect something back from you in return, often in the form of emotional blackmail. That's Uncle Ray for you. He's not with us anymore though.
22. With Friends Like This…
I had an experience with this person I used to call a friend, though, let's use "friend" lightly here. Her favorite pastime? Setting up all her buddies for blind dates, which I later figured out to be part of this big scheme she cooked up. Her next act? Well, she'd surprisingly show up right in the middle of the date and instantly become the guy's main focus. And if, for any reason, the guy was ignoring her and instead giving us attention, she wouldn't take it lightly. She'd throw a fuss to the point that the guy would feel weirded out and eventually, scoot off.
If we ever dared to call her out on her weird game, she would just say that we were jealous. Why? Because, in her imagination, she believed herself to be way more charming, smarter, and trendier than any of us could be.
23. Dreams Destroyed
My sister-in-law was expecting her third child, with a plan to have the baby adopted by her boyfriend's aunt and uncle. The couple had been longing for a child for quite a while. They took care of all the medical expenses, supplied her with groceries, prepared a nursery at their home, and were extremely excited when she went into labor.
However, things got complicated. My sister-in-law decided to ask them to leave the hospital, stating they were disturbing her and that they wanted to take her baby. Of course, they wanted to—that was the initial arrangement. Unexpectedly, she declined to let the baby go, accusing them of having mental issues. Interestingly, she named her baby boy Bentley, which coincidentally, is also the aunt and uncle's surname.
Unfortunately, Indiana law doesn't enforce surrogacy contracts. Therefore, the couple found themselves in a difficult situation. The mother later came under investigation from child protective services on several occasions. This happened after her neighbors alerted the authorities when they discovered the infant was being left alone in the house for hours.
24. A (Un)Happy Birthday
This story is about a friend of mine. He had an older sibling who received a car for his twenty-first birthday. As my friend's 21st birthday approached, his parents hinted that he too might get a car as a gift. So, when the special day arrived, they covered his eyes and took him to the garage. Of course, he was super thrilled about it.
The sound of keys jingling could be heard. His parents and brother were with him. They took off his blindfold, and what he saw left him stunned. In the middle of the garage was a toy car, a matchbox car to be precise. The supposedly big gift wasn't an actual car, just a tiny toy car. His family found the whole thing very amusing. Unfortunately, he never did get a car from them.
25. Grandma’s Grouchy Greetings
One year on my birthday, my granny gave me a ring. She said, "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, but I didn't mail a card. I know people tend to chuck them out; it's not worth the $1.99. Plus, your dad's birthday is coming up in three days. I'm not phoning twice, so could you wish him a happy birthday for me"? Keep the
26. An Undesirable IOU
When I was in college, my mom secretly got a credit card in my name. She withdrew money from it and never paid the bills. I only discovered what was happening when the bill had climbed to $2,500. Although I try my best to make the minimum payments every month, it's very challenging. After all, I have my big student loans to deal with, and I only earn around $15,000 annually.
Yet, it makes my blood boil when she nonchalantly tells me, "Hey, those credit card folks are calling for you again. Maybe you should deal with it".
27. A Bad Deal
There was a time when I was down on my luck—jobless and penniless—so I made the tough choice to sell my car just to be able to pay the rent. Since my dad is a mechanic, I naturally approached him for help with the sale. He agreed but proposed that once the car sold, he'd take a part of the proceeds as payment for the tires he'd helped me install. Fair enough, right?
Months rolled by before I finally popped the question: did anyone show interest in my car? To my surprise, he told me he'd already sold it. I promptly asked for my share, expecting at least a small reimbursement, but what he said next left me crushed. He insisted he wasn't giving me anything. We ended up in a heated argument, and I found myself with no choice but to ask my mom for help with the rent.
Now, the truly bitter part is my mom was struggling financially herself, and it's not as if my dad couldn't afford to help me. The man earns more than 100k a year, has a fleet of six cars and three dirt bikes, and owns not one, but two enormous homes—one of which he resides in, the other he rents out. What's more, he was even vacationing in Hawaii.
Meanwhile, my mom was contending with her own troubles. She was being sued due to my sister having a car accident with my mom's car. On top of that, she was responsible for my sister’s son. But life moves on, and so did I. I eventually landed a job, bought another car, and ceased communication with my dad. Oh, and I made sure to reflect on my blessings by paying my mom back.
28. The Custody Arrangement
At a past job, my boss and I worked closely together for long days. He was in his early 40s, and I was around 20. He shared that his three kids, from his ex-wife, chose to live with him because they weren't comfortable with their mom's boyfriend.
They were about seven, 14, and 16 then. After their decision, their mom proved just how heartless she was. She just stopped having anything to do with them. She wouldn't even pick them up from school or support them financially. She even had to sell her new Mercedes because she lost the child support.
Later on, she remarried quickly and left her older two kids out of the loop, not even mentioning her wedding plans.
29. Worst Mother Ever
My mom has done a lot of things that really upset me. One that really sticks with me happened when my brother and I were about to start high school. Our folks decided to send us to a Catholic school. It wasn't a big deal for me, but my brother was not happy about it, mainly because his friends were going to our local public school.
This is when my mom decided to make up a terrible lie. She told my brother that his friends secretly disliked him and were happy he was leaving. She even made up things they supposedly said. This wasn't true, but my brother was only 14 and very sensitive, so it really hurt him. The consequences were really hard on him.
He went to the new school and struggled to make friends for the first couple of years. He ended up hanging out with some not-so-great kids. Now, almost a decade later, he's still dealing with self-confidence issues and more. She also ruined many of his relationships by making up stories to his girlfriends. But that's not all.
She would pick fights with my dad, even hit him, hoping he would hit back so she could involve the police. My dad never did. She hit me once too. I was too young to understand that if I had reported it, she could have gotten into trouble. That night she hid all the home phones so no one could call for help.
I went to college as far from home as I could manage. One Saturday, I slept in and woke up with officers at my door. They told me to check my phone. It turned out that, while I was asleep, my mother had called me over 40 times. She was either crying or yelling, threatening that if I didn't pick up, she'd stop paying for my school. She claimed that ignoring her meant I'd done something awful. The next year, I decided to pay for school myself and cut off communication with her.
30. How Not To Handle A Divorce
I have an interesting story about my uncle's former sister-in-law. She was going through a really tough divorce at the time. It ended with her ex-husband getting both the house and the children. The way she responded to this was shocking. You wouldn't believe it, but she actually decided to set fire to the house while her kids were still inside. Tragically, they all didn't survive the fire. As far as I know, she's still in jail because of what she did.
31. Unbalanced Books
My mom stepped in to fund my cousin's college education after his parents, who didn't see the need for a college degree, refused to. They had the attitude of, "We never went to college, why should you"? So, my mom shelled out the money for my cousin to get a four-year degree, and he went on to become a stockbroker.
Three years passed, and then we got the devastating news: my dad had cancer, and it wasn't going away. During his final days, he invested as much money as he could into stocks to ensure that my mom would be taken care of when he was gone. The plan was for my cousin, the newly minted stockbroker, to manage these investments and keep a steady flow of money coming in for my mom.
However, four to five years down the line, my mom was penniless. My cousin had been playing fast and loose with the stocks, buying and selling them multiple times a day and pocketing the commission from each transaction. He was dumping her profitable stocks, and buying others that were more beneficial for him. In doing so, he was slowly whittling away my mom's savings while enlarging his own bank account.
With no other option, my mom took legal action, but after a long arbitration process with the brokerage firm, she ended up empty-handed. The cousin who my mom had generously supported through college had scammed her out of a massive $500,000, and he just strolled away scot-free. Since then, I've only seen him twice, both instances being at funerals. As much as I would've loved to give him a taste of his own medicine, I managed to keep my composure.
32. A Bad Start To A New Beginning
When my dad was a young man, he left Argentina and came to the United States. Later, he married my mom and they decided to save up money and move to Argentina to start a fresh life. When I was two years old, they had managed to save a good chunk of money—about $30,000—which was a decent savings for a family in the 80s that didn't earn much money.
They also bought tickets to fly to Argentina, so they could find our new home. My dad had often had problems with his brother acting unfairly, so he made the choice to send the money ahead to his brother-in-law, who everyone in the family really liked and trusted. The unfortunate part was that the very day after receiving our money, this brother-in-law went missing. He left his wife and their three-year-old daughter with no information as to where he was going.
We always guessed that he had likely got himself into trouble over some debt or something. Because of this, my parents had to change their plans and keep living in the United States. We didn't learn until twenty years later that he had actually fled from Argentina, moving to Spain using the money he got from us. It was so shocking that he chose to use our money to start a new family. I am still pretty uncertain about how my dad managed to find his location.
33. Santa Must Have Misheard The Request…
In much simpler terms, here's a version of that story:
One Christmas Day when I was eight, my mom and I were out buying some last-minute gifts. Just as we were about to enter the store, my mom told me out of the blue that she and my dad were getting a divorce. I was trying my best not to cry, while she carried on and walked right into the store as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell.
34. The Extra Long Drive Home
When I was around 15 years old, I had an interesting experience with a boy I went on a "date" with, if you can call it that. It was pretty simple really. We spent some time together in his Chevy Tahoe, just..."getting to know each other".
After our hangout, he started driving me home. We were practically at my doorstep—I could even see my house not so far away. But then, things took a surprising turn. Out of nowhere, he said, "Hey, it's getting pretty late, I don't want to break my curfew. You wouldn't mind if I drop you back in town, right? Maybe you could find another way home"?
I was absolutely stunned. I could only manage to nod, speechless. And then, for what felt like the longest ride ever, we drove back to town in total silence. Upon reaching the town, he handed me two quarters for the pay phone before dropping me off.
So there I was, stranded in town after being ditched by my date. In this unexpected situation, I found myself entering a local bar to call my dad for a ride home.
35. Relatively Entitled
My Aunt has accumulated around $60,000 in credit card debt, but she can't file for bankruptcy because my uncle's job would be at stake if she did. What upset me was her attitude when she insulted my grandmother for not amending her will to pay off my aunt's own irresponsible debt.
To begin with, it's not right to rely on someone's passing to correct your own errors! Moreover, the reason my grandmother lacks formal education is due to the extremely difficult time she had to endure in her teenage years—she was trapped in Auschwitz. Keep these points in mind, and use language that's simple, conversational and easy for anyone to understand. Avoid any kind of disrespectful or inappropriate remarks.
36. A Loss In Louisiana
My best buddy grew up in a really tough family. He left home the minute he turned 18. His stepdad was horrific, his mom didn't seem to care, and his real dad was never around. But, he had this rich uncle who he was pretty tight with. Back when we were in high school, they struck a deal. If my friend could graduate with good grades, his uncle would cover his college tuition.
And you know what, my friend toughed it out. He put up with physical abuse from his stepdad, emotional abuse from his biological father, and outright neglect from his mom. On top of all that, he was basically raising his two younger half-sisters. But he did it. He graduated sixth in his class. He got into a few colleges and always checked that his uncle was still okay with paying his tuition. His uncle said yes every time.
After graduating, he left home and crashed with some friends for the summer. Then in August, we both headed off to Baton Rouge to start school at LSU. But during the first week of school, everything went wrong. He got a letter saying a payment hadn't been processed. He talked to the school's finance department and they told him they had never received his tuition payment.
So he called his uncle to see what was happening. Turns out, his uncle never thought he'd actually make it through high school and get into college. He figured he could keep up his end of the deal by promising to pay tuition, thinking that my friend would give up on his chaotic home life sooner. Even after graduation, the uncle assumed my friend wouldn't have enough money to travel to LSU herself because his parents couldn't help.
In the end, the uncle never paid a penny towards tuition, and my friend had to defer his enrollment. Now, he's working and saving money, hoping to start school next year.
37. Long, Very Lost, Relative
Around 18 years back, my cousin's current husband was dating a woman with whom things weren't smooth. She was somewhat unstable and he decided it was best to end the relationship. A few weeks after, the ex-girlfriend called to tell him that she was three months pregnant with his child and was planning to disappear so he would never get to see the baby.
He tried looking for her for several years but she was nowhere to be found. Fast forward to a couple of years ago, he's now happily married and has two daughters aged 12 and 15. One day, he gets a friend request on Facebook from a girl who claims to be his long-lost daughter. Naturally, he was over the moon and they spent over a year getting to know each other by chatting, sending letters and photos.
His 15-year-old daughter was especially excited to have an older sister to confide in. The day came when they planned to meet up, but things took a turn. Despite waiting all day, the girl never showed up. Later that evening, she messaged them on Facebook, apologizing and saying that meeting them was too overwhelming at the moment. Even though they were heartbroken, they told her they understood.
Skip a few more months forward, they got a sudden call from the ex-girlfriend's current husband. He revealed that the girl they'd interacted with for over a year did not exist. He discovered Facebook chats and emails in which his wife impersonated the daughter she claimed to have had years back.
Turns out, the ex-girlfriend was never pregnant. All the pictures she sent to my cousin's husband were actually pictures of her eldest daughter with her new husband.
38. Houseguest Nightmare
A long time back, my brother-in-law was facing a rough patch; he lost his job and his apartment. With nowhere to turn, he asked if he could stay with us for a while, and we agreed. He seemed genuinely thankful and pleased to help out around the house. We had to leave town for some weeks, and he was more than willing to watch over our home in our absence.
When we got back, we walked straight into a horror show. To our shock, he had altered all the lock systems. We kept on knocking, but he stubbornly stayed silent, refusing to let us in.
Without warning, the police arrived and, to our disbelief, we found out he had somehow managed to evict us from our own house. While the law took its course, we had no other choice but to rent a different place for the next six weeks.
After we eventually navigated the court system and regained access to our property, we discovered his spite hadn't stopped at the eviction. He had inflicted massive damage to our home. Carpets were stained with eggs and milk, he'd cunningly hidden raw chicken within the walls, and various household fixtures including plug sockets and ceiling fans had been removed.
We reached out to the authorities once again, but were told this was a family matter. They advised us to sue him in small claims court.
39. A Date Disaster
I was just getting ready for a beach trip with my buddies when I got a text from this guy. He's asking if we can meet, like right now. I said sorry, I'm heading out of town, but we can catch up when I’m back. He just wouldn't quit though, kept insisting that we meet today. I finally gave in and we decided on a place for breakfast.
As I'm driving over there, which took half an hour, he's absolutely flooding my phone with messages. I'm talking 4 or 5 at a time, before I can even reply to one. And if I don’t write back quickly enough, he starts calling me. I’m like, dude, I'm driving! Eventually, I arrived at the diner and let him know I'm there. He responds saying he's still about 10 minutes away.
So I'm like, alright, no problem, I'll just wait. All the while I’m sitting in the car, he's still texting, making crude comments and suggesting we do things in his car before breakfast. I quickly shut that down and told him I wasn't comfortable with that at all. After 10 additional minutes of this nonsense, I finally told him I couldn't wait any longer.
His response? I kid you not, he writes, "Oh, trust me you just got scammed your so stupid". Honestly, if you can't even use "you're" correctly, I doubt things would have worked out anyway.
40. It's Just Your Imagination
So, I recently stumbled upon some shocking news. My own mother falsely reported me and my sister as deceased. She first fabricated a story about my sister passing away, and then proceeded to tell her colleagues at work that I had succumbed to a disease contracted from my sister. She even accepted donations for our supposed funeral expenses. This information got to me through some of her coworkers who reached out, and needless to say, I was initially baffled.
Soon after her coworkers contacted me, my mother unexpectedly lost her job. She has yet to share this news with me. Additionally, she has received an eviction notice. She ceased paying all her bills about a year ago. It didn't take long for me to find the root of these issues—she's been dealing with substance use issues. It's shocking that I didn't pick up on it earlier. Her life is slowly spiraling out of control.
41. Karma Needs To Meet This Dad
I wasn't there, but one strange day, when my ex-girlfriend and her mom were out, her alcoholic father shockingly locked their younger daughter in the closet. He heartlessly declared that he no longer cared for any of them, left to rent a moving truck, and emptied the house of all its contents. Coming home hours later, my ex and her mom found a completely empty home, with the younger daughter tearfully locked away in the closet.
The father then moved to Florida to work under-the-table for his wealthy parents. Because he didn't officially earn any money but had enough to hire a skilled lawyer, he was not obligated to pay child support. He even cunningly put all bills and both home mortgages solely under the mother's name, causing her to face bankruptcy. She was a single mother with no work experience.
However, they managed to pull through this tough time, thanks to the support of their loved ones, even though it created great chaos for many years.
42. The Good Deed, The Punishment
I once crossed paths with a jobless man who was desperately struggling to provide for his family and stay on top of his bills. I decided to help him by offering him a job to maintain our lawn regularly, paying him a generous cleaning fee that was more than the typical rate. One week, our family had planned to be out of town, so I asked him to keep up with his usual landscaping duties and paid him in advance. To my surprise, when we returned, the lawn remained untouched.
Initially, I thought something urgent might've sprung up on his end, so I didn't make much of it. However, when I tried contacting him multiple times without any luck, I couldn't help but worry that something unfortunate might've happened to him. Secretly, I hoped that I could be of some help in whatever situation he found himself in. Finally, the truth came to light.
One day, I swung the doors of my shed open, and to my shock, everything was missing. The absence of my belongings instantly made me think of him, despite having no solid proof of his involvement other than his recent strange behavior of evading my calls.
In response, I alerted the local authorities and reported the theft. But, their reply wasn't comforting—they simply told me not to expect to recover any of the stolen items. That seemed to be the end of it...until we unexpectedly ran into each other a few months later at Wal-Mart.
Upon seeing me, his eyes widened, and he swiftly pivoted to scurry away. It was in that moment, as I watched him hurriedly disappear into an aisle, that I felt a confident certainty—he was the one who had robbed me.
43. Mom’s Un-PC Move
When I was a teenager, I didn't have much money. How little? I remember counting pennies just to afford bus fare, getting by on $30 worth of groceries a week and depending on a food bank for meals. I was both studying and working full time, while also saving up for a computer—despite only making $3.65 an hour. Every month, I contributed towards the bills and spent two hours each day catching the bus to and from school. We were living on a shoestring.
Buying a new computer back in the day could cost you at least $2,000, but I was aiming for a second-hand one, which was about $800-$1,000. I needed it to enhance my experience because I was shifting my major to computer science. I managed to save $320 after several months. Keeping it in a box, I would often count it after browsing through computer catalogs, since we didn't have the internet then.
My mom found out about the money, and a few weeks later she got mad at me for supposedly cooking too much (a teenager needs to eat). To my surprise, she took the money and used it to rent a motel room for five days, saying she needed time to clear her head. I felt devastated. It took me another six years to finally get that PC I so desperately wanted.
44. An Unfortunate Engagement
There was a time in my life when I was deeply in love with a woman and planned to marry her. I moved heaven and earth for her, which included doing a job I didn't particularly enjoy just to ensure she was able to continue her higher education. I was bearing the cost of our fancy apartment, a place new to both of us. Additionally, I took on the responsibility of looking after her pet when she had to go away for several months due to academic requirements.
When she returned from her trip, she didn't seem to be herself for the first two days. Eventually, I found out what was bothering her. At the expense of our relationship, she'd been involved with another guy during her trip. Plus, she was in a relationship with him for a month. All this while wearing my late mom’s engagement ring that I gave her and having late-night phone chats with me, while he was probably sharing her bed.
On the regrettable night everything came crashing down, we were intimate one last time. This was the first time since she had returned. To add more salt to my already wounded heart, I contracted an STD. After a couple of days, still nursing a heart full of pain and confusion, I had to attend my cousin's wedding as a part of the wedding party no less. I escorted a lady with the same name as my ex-fiancée down the aisle. And to avoid stealing the spotlight from my cousin, I didn't tell anyone about our breakup. This was the toughest part, as it involved answering many cheerful queries about my supposedly imminent nuptials.
45. Where Credit Is Due
My boyfriend's sister used to work as a loan officer at a credit union, and she secretly took out a loan for $5,000 in their parent's name, which she never paid back. Then, we discovered a few months back, she took an even larger loan—$30,000—under my boyfriend's name. I suppose she realized she didn't have enough money to pay off the loans and stopped making payments entirely.
After she quit her job, the credit union had no way to reach her, so they tried contacting my boyfriend. He got a letter about an unpaid $25,000 loan that he didn't know about. Figuring it out, he realized this loan was from his sister's old workplace, so he tried to get in touch with her, but she ignored him. He contacted the bank to see what involvement he actually had with this loan. They told him he was the primary borrower.
His parents issued her a stark warning; either talk to them about the situation or they'd go to the law. Now, she's trying to sell her house to pay the debt collectors. Despite all the confusion she's caused, my boyfriend has chosen not to report her to the authorities. And his parents are even stepping in to help, contributing half the amount of the $25,000 loan to get her out of this mess.
46. The Unfair Eviction
A couple of years back, right around when I was finishing high school, my dad got very, very sick and slipped into a coma. While he was in the hospital, my life back home was pretty dramatic. You see, I was still living at our house because I was under 18 and waiting to officially become an adult to move out. However, I wasn't alone. My dad's girlfriend, who had moved in just two weeks after my mom had moved out, was living there too. To be honest, I was feeling really upset because it seemed to me my dad wasn't going to make it.
While all of this was going on, his girlfriend was making things even worse. She was constantly accusing me of lying and threatening to throw my things out onto our front yard because she didn't want me living there. Now, let me set the record straight—at that time, I was working full time at a car dealership and wasn't seeing anyone. But here's where things took a nastier turn.
What I learned later is that once my dad recovered from his coma, his girlfriend (she's his wife now) told him that I had been bringing different guys to our house every night, doing the deed, and all the while not giving a second thought about respecting his house when he was away.
Now listen, I DID NOT do that. I barely spent any time at home because I was out working. But believe it or not, because of all these stories she spun, my dad, while still in the hospital, took my house key and told me that I couldn't live there anymore.
47. Worst Gift Ever
I hold the distinction of being the first in my family to attend college, which was a source of immense pride for them. My mom gave me my first credit card, promising to handle the monthly payments for as long as I remained a student. She encouraged me to make reasonable purchases but little did I know I was setting myself up for an unpleasant surprise.
Once I had completed my college education, my mother presented me with a new responsibility—paying bills. I was shell-shocked to see a credit card statement amounting to more than $20,000. My puzzled expression led her to happily clarify that she had only been making the minimum payments.
Feelings of anger swept over me, replaced quickly by bewilderment as I mused aloud that I thought the card was under her name and I was simply an authorized user. It turned out that my mom went further than I thought. She had, unbeknownst to me, applied for the credit card under my name, a move she deemed benefitted me by helping me establish credit.
It was somewhat confusing. Despite the tension that exists between us, I believe my mom always harbours good intentions. Unfortunately, the way she goes about things often veers into the territory of being inconsiderate, despite arguing it's for my benefit.
48. Scammy Daddy
On my birthday, my dad told my mom he wanted a divorce. He abruptly took all their belongings and began a relationship with someone who was only 20 years old. My mom and I were left with nothing, so I borrowed $6,000 to fill our new rental house with essentials. Unfortunately, I couldn't carry the cost of the house by myself. Heartbreakingly, my mom died just two months after we moved in.
Before she passed away, she wrote a final email to my dad requesting him to pass on her life insurance to me. She hoped it would help me repay the loan and cover most of the remaining lease. But instead, my dad used that money to buy a truck and a stereo system. This left me broke, buried in debt, stuck with a lease I couldn't afford and the responsibility of looking after my younger brother until he finishes high school.
Adding to my problems, my parents owed my brother's school $2,000. The school insisted that unless the debt was paid, they wouldn't let my brother graduate. They asked me to foot the bill.
49. Judgy Judy
When I was young, I used to go to a small Southern Baptist church. One Saturday night, a friend of mine, who came from a low-income family, spent the night at my house. The next morning, she accompanied my family to church. She was a bit worried about her clothes as she didn't have any dresses. All she had was a pair of nice khaki pants and a smart shirt. We reassured her that her outfit was completely acceptable.
However, after our Sunday school session, just before the service, the pastor's wife singled out my friend. She took her to a corner of the church. My friend tried to resist as the woman was gripping her arm too tightly. I tagged along and heard what the pastor's wife told my friend, "You're always welcome in God's home, but only return when you can dress appropriately".
Behind me, my mom had followed and heard everything. We decided on the spot to pack up and leave the church. We never went back to that church, a place we had been attending for nearly a decade.
50. The Mythical Wedding Gift
My best buddy tied the knot, and it was decided that the costs of the wedding were to fall on the bride's family, as long as they kept things reasonable. And they did just that, from decorations to what was on the menu. However, in a shocking twist, the bride's family used the money intended for wedding expenses on a holiday of their own, without informing the soon-to-be-married couple. This unexpected twist forced the lovebirds to delay their wedding due to the lack of funds to cover the costs.
Finally, my friend and his bride had to dig into their pockets to cover the expenses of their special day. When the much-anticipated day arrived, all that the bride's family gave was a modest gift of $150 and a card with the promise of a more appropriate gift in the future. It's worth mentioning that this family is far from poor—they are the proud owners of a yacht, drive a classy Jaguar, and even went on another holiday within the same year.
Sources: Reddit, ,
