“Part of me wishes he would just die already.”

"The first half-brother (who was never a mystery) was left to believe that he shared a father with the mystery brother, and that their father had chosen the mystery brother over him. He didn't find out the contrary until he needed his birth certificate for a background check for a job at 18. When he confronted our mother, she said the same thing: 'You KNOW about this,' but I reckon finding out your real dad is not something you generally forget.

I have a lot of sympathy for where my mom was coming from and the challenges she faced. But she's still a very selfish, calculated liar, and I can't trust her, especially being that I'm a parent myself now, and I've seen how easily she picks up and discards her other grandchildren."

"I’m still having trouble reconciling those two versions of him, and that my mom and uncle continued to be close to him throughout his life. They had alluded to him hitting them when they were children, but always in a 'that’s just how people were' way (not that that’s any excuse), but this was beyond even what was normalized in the 1950s-60s."

"After that, it made so much sense why I was never welcome in her family, and why she referred to me as 'that girl,' even when I called her mom. Her children, much older than me, weren't warm to me either. I'm still so mad at my dad for letting her treat me like that. I grew up with so much self-hatred and isolation because of his actions. I was blamed for so many things. Now he has Alzheimer's, and a part of me wishes he would just die already."

"After the crash, my dad liquidated his business to pay out his workers and give them all a chance to survive. Selling our house (that my father literally built, he owned and was the lead architect of his construction company), my mom starting a career in her 40s, cutting back on everything; it was all to survive and make sure my father's workers got their fair share. 

My mother also revealed to me that she was suicidal for several years during that. It really threw me for a loop because I had huge mental health issues during middle and high school, leading to a full mental breakdown in my senior year of high school. For years, she refused to get me mental health treatment, and it was mainly because she was struggling and refusing her own treatment, too. It took us a bit to reconcile after that big revelation, but we have a much better relationship now than ever.

And I already had a great relationship with my father, but finding out what he did for his employees and contractors gave me an extra level of respect."

"These kids now have to suffer for life because my uncle and his literal blood relative couldn't wrap it while fucking each other. The whole thing is gross, but it gets worse because my uncle refuses to get involved with the twins and claims they're not his."

"As my mom and aunt got older, they stayed in touch with their parents, but got stuck in this horrible psychological loop; their parents would verbally abuse them, but then insist the twins keep visiting them, so they got stuck on constantly trying to be 'good enough,' even though their parents clearly didn't give a fuck.

We spent our entire childhood going to my grandparents' every Sunday. I feel like I would've said 'fuck that' if I'd known their history. Even now, my grandma tries to guilt my mom into visits with my kids, saying they're the only thing she lives for."

"The only reason she didn't take the kids was that her husband couldn't go after her if he had kids to care for. They ignored the fact that she still sent money and clothes simply because they begged her to come back (knowing full well what the situation was since it happened in front of them), and she wouldn't.

They have treated my mom (one of the kids she took because she was 3 years old and had no say) like trash ever since. I don't have a relationship with any of them as a result."

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline provides information and referral services. You can call them at 1-800-950-6264, or text ‘HOME’ or ‘HOLA’ to 741741 to speak with a volunteer. GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.

Disclaimer: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.