A woman has been left heartbroken after uncovering a shocking truth about her dad through a DNA test. The 28-year-old explained how she bought an at-home DNA testing kit for fun – expecting to learn more about her ancestors’ movements through various countries.
However, she ended up unearthing a secret her dad had been keeping for about 30 years – and it has torn her family apart. Taking to Reddit, she said: “I was curious about my heritage and thought it’d be cool to connect with distant relatives. When the results came back, I was matched with a woman in her 30s.
“The system said we were likely half-siblings. I assumed it was some kind of mistake. I reached out to her out of curiosity, thinking maybe the connection was on my mum’s side or a distant cousin. She was polite but surprised to hear from me. “
After speaking online through the website, she came to realise it wasn’t a mistake like she hoped, but the woman turned out to be her half-sister. She added: “She knew his [her biological dad’s] first name and that he came from a specific town, the same town my dad grew up in.
“I tried to convince myself it was a coincidence, but as we talked more, my gut told me it wasn’t. When I asked about the circumstances, she admitted her mum said her biological father knew about the pregnancy but chose not to be involved. That’s when it clicked for me.”
Seeking answers, she confronted her dad about the situation – but he denied it entirely. However after pressing him for a while, he came clean and admitted he got a woman pregnant before meeting her mum.
She added: “He explained that her mum didn’t want him involved and he felt it was best to move on and not bring it up. I asked him if he was going to tell my mum, and he begged me not to. He said it would only hurt her and that it had nothing to do with their life together.
“He insisted the past was behind him, and there was no reason to drag it into the present. I felt sick about keeping such a big secret from my mum, but I tried to sit with it for a while to figure out what to do.”
But unable to handle the guilt, the 28-year-old took her mum aside one day and told her everything she’d learnt. She said: “She was shocked and heartbroken, not just about the child, but about the years of lies. She said she never would’ve cared about the child if my dad had been honest from the start, but the deception made her question everything.
“She confronted my dad, and things escalated quickly. Now, they’re in the middle of a divorce. My dad says he doesn’t blame me, but I can tell he’s hurt and wishes I’d stayed quiet. My mum says she’s glad I told her but admits it’s been incredibly painful.
“The worst part is, I feel like this is all my fault. My parents seemed happy before this.” While she believes her mum deserved to know the truth, she can’t help but regret her actions and has taken to social media for advice.
In response, one user said: “You didn’t blow up your family. Your father lied to everyone for years, and that’s what blew up his family. Another user added: “I can’t imagine this causing a divorce in a stable relationship. This is far beyond your involvement.” A third user said: “Your Dad had decades to do the right thing. The only person he has any right to be angry at is himself.”
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