Reddit Stories - DECEIVED and REUNITED_ The SHOCKING Return of Long-Lost Family_

Episode Date: October 12, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #deceived #reunited #family #shocking #surprise  Summary: A gripping tale unfolds on Reddit about a family torn apart by deception, only to be reunited in a shocking turn of events that leaves everyone astonished. Emotions run high as the long-lost family members come together once again.  Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, deceived, reunited, family, shocking, surprise, emotions, heartwarming, relationships, forgiveness, unexpected, twist, reunion, secrets, love, supportBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Family members unexpectedly reappeared in my life after being deceived into believing I had wed a wealthy employer, prompting me to go along with the ruse to impart a valuable lesson. As a 27-year-old woman, I am employed. As a financial advisor at a top company, I have had no contact with my parents for the past eight years. I have an older sister, Celeste, 34F, who is happily married with two kids. We maintain occasional communication but we aren't that close.

When I was just 19 years old, an incident occurred that made me cut off my parents from my life. You see, my parents are devout Catholics, the type who take their faith incredibly serious throughout our upbringing, they expected both my sister and me to strictly adhere to these beliefs and follow a life path deeply rooted in their religious values. Instead of enrolling us in local schools, they chose to homeschool us. Their reasoning was that these schools didn't align closely enough with their beliefs, so they decided to take our education into their own hands. They had a very specific vision for our futures and put immense pressure on us to choose one of the following paths, to become parents and have lots of children, or to pursue a life as a nun.

Our parents expected us to conform to the traditional expectations of our community, and these were the only options they deemed suitable for us. My sister, who is seven years older than me, never dated, lived at home until she got married, rarely traveled more than ten miles from our house, and didn't participate in any group activities around our town. It was clear why she was our parents' favorite. When she was just 22 years old, they arranged her marriage to Matthew, the son of my dad's friend. At her wedding, they critiqued everything, from the readings to the order of events during an ordained priest officiated it. Luckily for my sister, Matthew turned out to be a great guy, and Celeste has a great life with her two children. Seeing that my sister had to get married at such a young age,

I knew I wanted a different life than hers. She might have been content, but I didn't want to follow the traditional route. I was a young woman full of dreams, ambitions, and a passion for independence. I wanted to build a career, travel, and explore the world. My vision for my life clashed head on with the traditional expectations my parents held dear. When I graduated from high school, I really wanted to go to college, even though my parents were dead set against it. I applied to a top university in our district and was thrilled to receive a full scholarship. But when I shared the good news with my parents, they were furious, and my dad had a complete meltdown. He began to shout at me, his words filled with disapproval and frustration. My mom, on the other hand, refused to look at me,

My parents couldn't understand why I wanted to go to college when they believed I should be focusing on following the traditional path they had laid out. It was a heartbreaking moment, watching the people I love the most in the world react so negatively to my pursuit of higher education. The fallout from that argument was profound. It marked the beginning of a growing divide between me and my parents for the years to come. It was clear that pursuing my dreams was not in line with their vision for my life, and this incident was the catalyst for our eventual estrangement.

Starting college opened up a whole new world for me. I learned things that challenged the beliefs my parents had instilled in me throughout my upbringing. I made new friends and gained a sense of independence that I hadn't experienced before. My parents, however, struggled to accept these changes in me. They saw my newfound independence and the influence of my college experiences as a threat to the values they held dear. Our reunions during college breaks were marked by tension and misunderstandings. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, trying to avoid topics that would inevitably lead to arguments.

The gap between our worldviews was widening, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to bridge the divide. Despite all the changes, a part of me still longed for their acceptance, but it seemed like an elusive dream. After graduating from college, I was thrilled about the prospect of finding a job and kick-starting my career. I expressed my strong desire to pursue a career to my parents and eventually move out of their house to follow my dreams. However, my parents were unhappy and didn't want me to pursue a job. They insisted that I should choose a life path that led to marriage and starting a family, in line with their strong principles.

Our arguments got more and more intense, emotions were running high, and they fervently urged me to reconsider my choices. When I stood my ground and refused to heed their demands, they told me to leave their house right away. I was taken aback, shocked to see them react so angrily and abruptly over a decision that brought me so much happiness. I gathered my belongings and stayed at my sister's place for a few months until I could find a new place of my own. During that time, I made a solemn promise to myself that I would never go back to my parents' house. I wanted to live life on my own terms and achieve success and happiness outside the confines of their traditional expectations.

My decision to leave and pursue a career, however, deeply hurt my parents. In their eyes, I had diverged from their expectations and disregarded their wishes for me. They responded by cutting off all communication with me, and it was as if I had been exiled from their lives. Over the years, whenever I talked to my sister, I made sure not to ask about them, and she didn't mention them to me. Now coming on to the incident in hand, I had been in a relationship with my boyfriend for the past three years, and he proposed to me three months ago. We decided to have a simple court marriage followed by a small dinner party with our close friends. I'm not a fan of big, dramatic weddings, and the fact that I couldn't invite my family to the wedding was another reason for keeping it

low-key. Everything seemed to be going smoothly in the following days, or so I believed until I received a call from an unknown number. I answered it, only to hear my parents on the other end. After all those years of silence, I couldn't fathom why they were calling me. It turned out they had learned about my marriage and wanted to offer their congratulations. I hesitantly thank them, a mix of emotions flooding over me. They continued to inquire about my life and well-being, and I answered their questions without much thought. It didn't strike me as unusual until they began to ask how it felt to be married to someone in a higher position than me at my company. Puzzled, I asked them to clarify what they meant. They went on to explain that they were

delighted I had chosen to marry my boss. At this point, my jaw nearly hit the floor. I couldn't fathom why they would think I was married to my boss. They told me that one of their acquaintances had informed them about this and that they couldn't be happier. The whole time I remained mostly silent as they continued to chatter about how proud they were that I was finally married. My dad expressed excitement about meeting my husband and getting to know him, while my mother inquired if I planned to quit my job now that I was married, with the intention of focusing on having kids and keeping my husband happy. Their assumptions left me flabbergasted. It slowly dawned on me that the sole reason they had reached out to me after eight years was their

belief that I had married my boss, which, in their minds, elevated my status in the society and they expected me to now become a traditional wife. Their condescending tone and expectations infuriated me, but I decided to play along. I painted a picture of a life that, technically, was true as I did have a comfortable life with my husband. But I added in a bunch of lies, such as having 20 housekeepers at our back and call and living in a huge mansion with a swimming pool. My parents eagerly lapped up my story, and their excitement grew as they asked if I could arrange a meeting with my wealthy husband. Their excitement was embarrassing, considering their eagerness to reconnect with me hinged solely on the false belief that I had married my boss. While I played along and agreed to set up a meeting

for the weekend, a plan was forming in my mind. I wanted to teach them a lesson, a way to make them understand the pain they had caused by refusing to talk to me for all those years just because I didn't conform to their demands. Now, they were suddenly eager to be back in my life, all so they could boast about it in front of their community friends. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and I was determined to make them see the consequences of their actions. I talked to my husband about my plan, but he was unsure about it. He understood why I lied, but he was hesitant about starting things off on the wrong foot since he was going to be meeting my parents for the first time. After some convincing, he finally agreed to go along with my plan. I also reached out to my boss,

who was actually a female and had become a close friend to me over the years I had worked at the company. I explained the situation to her, and she found my parents' beliefs quite amusing. I asked if we could use her house for the day, and she readily agreed. I sent the location to my parents and set up the meeting they had requested. On the day, my parents arrived at the house, believing they were meeting my wealthy boss, whom I was apparently married to. Their eyes widened as they took in the size of the house and the expanse of lawn. My husband and I greeted them, and my dad shook my husband's hand with a bit too much enthusiasm.

My mother hugged me and congratulated us on our marriage. My husband, though initially hesitant, played his part flawlessly. He greeted my parents with a warm smile and engaged in small talk, pretending to be the wealthy boss they believed him to be. We sat down for lunch, and my parents couldn't help but noticed the team of housekeepers who brought out our plates. My dad started bombarding my husband with questions about the house, his assets, and how I had ended up with someone of his stature.

Despite my irritation with the question, my husband, to maintain the charade, spun an intricate tale about his wealth, success, and a story on how we met, all part of our elaborate act. Amidst the conversation, my dad, unable to contain his curiosity, leaned in with a twinkle in his eye and asked my husband, you know, I've always wanted to own a classic car collection. Do you have any vintage cars around that I can check out? My husband played along, telling my dad that he indeed had a few vintage cars. They both headed off to explore my wealthy husband's car collection, which, in reality, belonged to my boss.

Meanwhile, my mother hung back, and in a hushed tone, she confided in me. You know, we are so happy that you are married to a rich man. because we have been struggling to make our house mortgage payments, she admitted, her eyes filled with worry. We are afraid that we might lose our home. I was left staring at her in disbelief as she continued, suggesting that now that I was married to my wealthy husband with a huge house and a vintage car collection, I could convince him to help out with their mortgage payments. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The only reason my parents had reached out to me after all these years was because they believed they could benefit from my supposed rich husband's wealth.

They never really cared about me at all. The realization was a bitter pill to swallow, and a rush of emotions swirled within me. As I waited for my dad and my husband to return, I could feel the tension in the air. When they finally rejoined us, I took a deep breath and decided it was time to have a candid conversation with everyone. I turned to my dad and asked him directly if what my mother told me was true. He hesitated for a moment and then replied, well, I didn't expect you to ever get married, let alone to a wealthy man. Now that your husband has more than enough, it wouldn't hurt to

share some of this wealth with us. Both my husband and I were taken aback by the words that came out of my dad's mouth. My dad continued, explaining that he didn't have the money to pay the mortgage, and he couldn't turn to his friends for help because it would damage his reputation. Seeing my parents' desperation and their assumption that they could easily gain from my husband's imaginary wealth, I decided to take my revenge to the next level. With a wicked glint in my eye, I looked at my dad and said, You know what, Dad? We can help you with your mortgage, but there's a condition.

You must first publicly apologize to me and acknowledge that you were wrong to cut off contact with me for the past eight years. You need to do this in front of our entire family and friends at a gathering we will organize. My parents were taken aback, but it's not like they had any option. They reluctantly agreed to my terms. Over the next few weeks, I organized a family gathering where I invited our relatives and close friends to join us. My sister had no idea about all these circumstances and was taken aback that my parents had decided to reach out to me after so long. I made sure to keep my sister in the dark about my revenge plan as I knew her strong convictions might lead her to spill the beans to my parents. On the day of the event, I was happy to meet my extended family after such a long time and

meet some of my parents' long-time friends. Everyone congratulated me on my marriage to my supposed wealthy boss and kept asking if we were trying for kids. I was getting irritated with their close-minded questions, but to maintain the charade, answered all their questions with a polite smile. Amid the cheerful chatter, my dad decided to call everyone's attention for a toast. He rose from his seat, raising his glass high. and began by expressing his happiness to be there among family and friends.

He congratulated my husband and me on our marriage. My dad continued with his speech, proclaiming his pride in how I had turned my life around and was now married to my boss. He spoke about the embarrassment he had initially felt when I had expressed my desire to pursue a career and how I had supposedly brought shame to his family at the time. He declared that he had now chosen to forgive me because I had finally chosen the path that he and my mother had wished all along. The room remained still as his words hung in the air, and little did my dad know that this gathering was indeed about to take a turn he hadn't anticipated.

As my dad concluded his speech, the room was filled with an expectant hush. Most of the guests believed I would rise to thank him for his words, but I had entirely different intentions in mind. It was time to reveal the true purpose of this gathering, to set the record straight, and to finally address the eight years of estrangement. With all eyes on me, I began to speak, thank you, Dad, for your kind words and for being here today. There's something I need to confess in front of everyone. As I spoke, a collective murmur rippled through the room.

I am married to my husband, I continued, but he isn't the boss of my company. My boss is actually a woman and a very close friend of mine and it was in fact her house that you visited earlier. The wealth and the lavish lifestyle you saw was all a charade. Someone had lied to you that I had married my boss and I went along with the lie just to find out your true intention. I had then insisted on having this gathering so I could reveal the truth about our family. My dad's face shifted from pride to shock, and there was a moment of stunned silence. I recounted in front of everyone how my parents had cut off contact with me for eight years

because they disapproved of my desire for independence and the pursuit of a career. But suddenly, they called me out of the blue, when they believed that I was now married to me. my boss, who was supposed to be rich. I disclosed the real reason was that they wanted our financial help as they couldn't afford to pay for their own house. They had reached out to me after all these years with the sole intention to leach off my rich husband and tried to convince me to ask him to pay for them. It was a shocking revelation as everyone registered the truth. I went to clarify in front of everyone that although I wasn't married to my wealthy boss had assumed my husband and I did have a very comfortable life with equally high-paying jobs. I emphasize that the comfortable life we

led was a result of my decision to break free from them and pursue a career rather than rushing into marriage and motherhood. The room was filled with a mix of emotions, from surprise and disbelief to understanding and even disappointment. All eyes turned to my parents, who now appeared embarrassed and exposed. The guests started whispering to each other as my husband and I got up from our seats, triumphantly and left the gathering. Our work here was done and a sense of satisfaction washed over me. I had finally put an end to the facade my parents had maintained in front of their community all this time. All of this happened last week, and the aftermath has been quite revealing. I have been receiving numerous calls from people since the incident. While the majority of them

applaud my courage in standing up to my parents and unveiling the truth in front of everyone, my sister and some relatives believe that I went too far, humiliating my parents in front of everyone. So, am I the a-hole for going along with my parents' lies about being married to my boss so I could take the ultimate revenge on them? I appreciate all the responses to my post. After reading your comments and suggestions, I felt compelled to give my sister a call and share my perspective. I explained to her that I was only 19 years old when our parents kicked me out, leaving me with emotional scars that persisted for years. Their decision to cut me off was solely based on my desire to pursue higher education

and choose a life different than what they wanted. It was an incredibly painful experience for me at such a young age. I made it clear that I never looked down on her choice to get married, but it wasn't the path I wanted to follow. I described the hurt I felt upon discovering the real reason my parents wanted to reconnect with me after all these years. I posed a question to Celeste. asking if she would ever treat her own children differently and cut them off if they made a decision

she didn't like. She solemnly responded with a no. I pointed out that as a parent herself, she should understand that what my parents did to me was extremely wrong. This is why I felt compelled to teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget. My sister, after hearing my side of the story, expressed sympathy for the challenges I had faced. I had always kept my feelings to myself, so she hadn't fully grasped the extent of my struggle. Celeste admitted that she had no idea how I'd felt all these years, and she understood now why I took the actions I did. While she couldn't entirely stand behind my revenge,

she assured me that she wouldn't hold it against me. I was happy after my conversation with my sister. As for my parents, they haven't reached out to me since the incident, and I have no plans to initiate contact with them first. given the way I expose their truth, I can only imagine they are seething with anger. It remains to be seen whether they will reflect on their actions and attempt to rebuild our fractured relationship or continue to blame me for their actions. For now, I stand by my decision to bring these issues to light and hope that they will have

learned a valuable lesson. My mother reached out to me today while I was at work. She expressed how she and my father felt humiliated in front of everyone, with my father harboring anger towards me. She continued to admonish me for lying to them, but I reminded her that I had simply played along to uncover their deceitful intentions. My mother attempted to justify their actions, explaining that they believed I was finally going to conform to their idea of a good girl by giving up my career and focusing on my family. I made it clear that I had no intentions of doing so, especially with the financial stability I had achieved, and the prospect of a promotion at my company on the horizon. I reiterated that I had no regrets about my actions, as they had only

revealed my parents' true facade. She also shared that some of our relatives and friends were talking about them now, and a few had expressed to my parents that what they had done to me eight years ago was wrong. This revelation seemed to have further infuriated my dad. I didn't want to continue having this conversation with my mother anymore as I knew it wasn't going to go anywhere, so I cut off her call. I didn't want to continue having this conversation while I was trying to work. My parents were said in their ways, and so was I. I was just glad that the aftermath of the gathering was creating ripples of change not just within our family but also within the broader circle of people who were privy to the situation.

Update 2. It's been three months since my last update and a lot of things have happened since then. I decided to begin therapy. I realized that I hadn't been dealing with the estrangement for my parents in a healthy manner, and the lingering resentment had been a heavy burden for years. While I had exposed the truth about their intentions, I didn't want to continue holding on to that resentment. Therapy has been a step towards finding a healthier way to address my past and emotions. As for my parents, they agreed to sit down and have a conversation with me, largely due to my sister's heartfelt pleas. I had been initially reluctant to meet them, but my husband encouraged me to give them a chance.

We all gathered at my sister's place, and I chose to remain silent as my parents took a seat to initiate the conversation. My mother started by expressing her regret for our previous encounters which really surprised me. She admitted that she had been doing a lot of soul-searching and had realized that their actions had hurt me deeply, and she now understood the pain it had caused. My father, who had remained silent until then, acknowledged that cutting off contact with me eight years ago had been a mistake in that they were determined to make amends. He explained how their strong commitment to their beliefs had prevented them from seeing things from my perspective. I remained cautious, opting to listen more than speak.

Their words seemed to come from a place of genuine reflection, which was a positive start to our conversation. My parents shared how they had been seeking guidance from their community, which had helped them see the error of their ways. While it was challenging, I understood that it was the first step toward some form of reconciliation. My sister appeared relieved with how the conversation was progressing. She had been a silent yet supportive presence during our discussion, and her hope for a renewed bond between our parents and me was evident in her expression. Seeing her optimism gave me some reassurance that perhaps, with time and effort, our family could find a way to heal

and reconnect one day. Despite the challenges ahead, it was a comforting thought that we were taking steps toward repairing the rift that had separated us for eight long years. I will continue to attend therapy and remain open to the possibility of reconciling with my parents in the future, though I will approach it with caution. For those wondering about my husband, we're doing great in our marriage. Our married life has been blissful so far, and he always supports my decisions. I'm really lucky to have a partner who loves me so much, and I look forward to growing old with him. We're not thinking about having kids right now,

but we're open to the idea. At the moment, we're just enjoying our lives and traveling the world together.