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37 Heartbreaking Divorce Stories That Show How Quickly Love Can Turn Into Pure Hatred
When two people get married, they usually believe they’ll be together forever. But sometimes, forever ends much sooner than expected. And while some couples manage to part ways peacefully, others become such bitter enemies that it makes you wonder how they ever fell in love in the first place.
Recently, one Threads user asked divorce lawyers to share the cruelest things they’ve seen spouses do to their ex-partners. Legal professionals and regular folks alike responded with jaw-dropping stories. We’ve rounded up some of the most shocking ones below.
Trigger warning: this article contains sensitive content that may be upsetting to some readers.
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#1
I was on dialysis. Fighting for my life. My 2 boys were with me when I was constantly in the hospital. He filed a motion for sole custody-hearing was on a Monday and I had just stepped down from ICU that weekend before. I AMA discharged and went straight from the hospital to court in a wheelchair and an uber. Hospital bands still on my wrist. A deputy escorted me into the hearing. I couldn’t walk. When that judge heard the motion, saw me, he almost raised the roof off the courthouse. Dismissed!
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#2
The divorce took 3 years and 50K. The house was signed over to me. Me and our 3 kids lived in the home. He got one final day to get his personal belongings. When I came back to the house he and his 5 brothers had removed every kitchen appliance, central vac, water softener system, garage openers, cabinets, sinks, etc. They left a nonfunctioning shell. The judge issued a warrant for his arrest. His mother went to the courthouse to talk to the judge.
ॐBoyGanesh 3 hours ago
He did that to his own kids. Talk about the kind of POS dad that gets his kid’s names tattooed on his body, but doesn’t have custody & rarely exercises his visitation. How can someone purport to love their children, yet destroy their ability to live in a habitable & functional home? I don’t give a flying fück about how he treats his ex-wife, but his own children?
#3
Hide the fact that he had a vasectomy causing her to go through years of infertility treatments.
ॐBoyGanesh 3 hours ago
That’s duplicitous. It’s an awful lot of lying to go so long, with so much effort.
#4
My story doesn’t compare but…While going through my divorce my ex promised that he would pay the mortgage on the house until the divorce was finalized. On that day as we walked out of the courtroom he handed me a foreclosure notice.
He never paid it. And I had less than a week before the house was to be sold at auction. Less than a week to find a new home for me and our 3 kids. AND it was during the holiday season.
#5
My ex stole my car last year in January, I rode a bike all year until I crashed in the snow. He and his lawyer have engineered the family court process I haven’t seen or heard from my children in 80 weeks. Lastly he stole at least $60,000 pre settlement. His lawyer moonlights as a legislator. I wish they would both perish on a hill of fire ants.
#6
What caused the divorce: we had been trying to conceive. I have fertility issues and struggled to get pregnant. I ended up finally getting pregnant. We were so excited and happy until one day I was at work. I started bleeding, then more bleeding. I called my husband and told him what was happening and that I was scared and wanted him to come get me to take me to the hospital. That child says “I just really don’t feel like leaving the house today.” So I ended up going to the hospital. Alone. I find out I’m no longer pregnant and am actively miscarrying. Alone. I get in my car and call him to tell him the news and all he says is “are you okay?” No I’m not okay. “Okay well are you coming home now?” Yup. See you soon. Bye. That was the moment I realized I needed to get out. I needed to leave and never look back.
Oh and the best part is after we separated, we were still living together. He threatened to throw all my belongings outside our apartment and lock me out because I wanted to go on a date with another guy. One night, he started saying pretty scary things. I started recording him on my phone. He got angry and came at me trying to get my phone away from me. Grabbed me by my wrists, drug me across the floor. Grabbed my arms, left marks. Tried to destroy my bedroom. All because he didn’t want me capturing the disturbing things he was saying.
#7
I knew a lady at my local YMCA. Hadn’t seen her in weeks. When I finally saw her again, she looked extremely thin, frail and very troubled. She had a sad aura. I asked her what was going on. She replied with a sad smile: “life”.
I learnt later on that she found out she had a very aggressive cancer and while she was at the hospital dealing with it, her husband of 25 years sold their house and filed for divorce stating that he was not going to be broke because of her.
#8
My wife promised me for 2 years she wasn't going to leave me for my best friend & lied to our relationship therapist about it.
4 days after she told me she was leaving me for him she had him beat me up (I still don't know why). I had a broken jaw, broken nose, & a missing tooth. She was there & watched him beat me up. She left in his car without saying a word to me.
6 months later I served her with divorce papers. I would have done it sooner if I could have.
#9
My dad quit his job, and then claimed he was too depressed about his divorce to be able to work just to get out of child support payments. He got his friends to lie for him in the proceedings. He got to keep the house and all his savings, and then flew one of his many girlfriends to the Bahamas for a vacation, and then took her and her kids to Disney, when my mom and I were living with food insecurity.
#10
A friend of mine was going through a divorce. Went to the husband’s house to discuss something she left there in an ambulance and a coma. He waited days to inform anyone that she was in the hospital. She passed away 3 weeks later and he had her cremated without telling her kids. Didn’t give them a chance for a service or final goodbyes.
#11
Not married but a couple had a baby then broke up. The baby passed. The man refused to help mom pay for funeral costs claiming it wasn’t his. She got a DNA test & got him added to her paperwork postmortem. Then he said he still wouldn’t pay for it because he’s not required to take care of a child after passing. And now she can’t even get the cemetery to allow her to bury the child because now that he’s the legal parent, the cemetery requires him to sign off & he refuses. Baby has been in the morgue. He told he could change his mind if she rekindles their relationship. So she is taking him back to court.
#12
Funeral director here: husband became even more violent when she developed cancer. He broke her arm during one fight while she was on chemo. He dragged out the divorce proceedings hoping she’d pass away first and it wouldn’t matter. He convinced the judge that seeing mom sick would be traumatic to the kids. When she passed, she hadn’t seen them in four months.
#13
I knew a lady, early 40's, who was pregnant w twins... 8 months or so. She was taking care of her mom who was sick...went over one day like usual & mom passed away in her arms... She goes home to her husband, stressed obv- finds him in bed w her daughter (before him). Daughter & stepdad move out & get MARRIED. she gets disowned basically... Stress of that day sent her into labor; 1 passed right away & other one a few days later.
#14
Not a divorce lawyer, but when my children were 2 under 2 I took a bad fall in the backyard and sprained both of my ankles at the same time.
After 24 hours of caring for me and the kids he was “fed up” with being home and in demand and went to the bar.
I had to crawl on my hands and knees to get around the house to care for my babies while my feet healed. (He would go to work then to the bar before coming home after their bedtime.)
Today is the 7 year anniversary of when I left him.
Jeolas1 1 hour ago (edited)
It is scary that quite a large percentage of men seem unwilling to provide care for their wives or children when they are sick. I know so many couples where when the woman got cancer or some other serious illness, the husband left her. The other way around I am sure happens, too, because everything happens to someone somewhere, but I personally know of no such case.
#15
This one is very personal. I was kidnapped with my now ex husband and little 2 yo daughter in my home country. We were driving at night and got intercepted. He tried to back up and get away. We get stuck. He opens the door and runs leaving us behind with the kidnappers. He got caught and they beat him up badly for leaving his family behind. We made it out of it in one piece. Now we are divorced and he hasn’t seen her in 9 years. I filed for sole custody and won. He’s mad he’s forced to pay CS.
#16
My (ex) husband abandoned me and our children in Disney World. Flew to Denver, turned off his phone, didn’t give an explanation, and refused marriage counseling. When I did finally hear from him, he said “It’s over. We’re done.”
So, when me and our kids got home, I DoorDashed packing supplies and threw EVERYTHING he owned into boxes. They were outside in the driveway when he finally returned from Denver.
We’ve now been separated for 5 months and I’m still in shock.
#17
A guy quit his multimillion dollar physician job. He declared bankruptcy. Stopped working and became a complete bum. So she decided she was going to sell their properties which were only in her name, but it’s community property. He went to the home they owned, opened up all the faucets and basically flooded the homes so that she couldn’t sell them. Because her name is on the property. She is financially responsible for it until the court enters a judgment.
#18
Parents split when I was 12, finalized the divorce when I was 14. ‘Father’ went and closed every utility attached to the house: water, electric, phone, then went to the bank with his roach infested sister to fraudulently close their joint account.
God put someone from church, family & family friends in each place that stopped the disconnects & bank fraud called my Mom and held those accounts open until she opened them in her name. And yes, Mom outlived him by 10 years.
#19
When I left my ex the final time- his lawyer had a PI following me. Bc we live in the South (stupid laws), I wasn’t allowed to have a man in my home, after dark, unless the blinds were open, if married. It was my cousin. A few days later I had a deputy & city cop show up and remove my two young boys, w/my ex parked down the road smiling. It took 3 weeks to prove he’d lied and used the cops against me. He took my toddler in only a diaper. I hate him. This wasn’t the only time.
#20
Ex husband cheated and impregnated his mistress, whom he worked with. I filed for divorce. He fought the divorce, costing me 30K in attorney fees and two years of my life… all because he didn’t think I should get half the equity in the home we owned, which sat on land we bought together…and we had built the house together. Had the nerve to ask if he could “have a hug” as we walked out of the courthouse after a judge ruled in my favor. Umm, NO THANKS.
#21
I’m not a lawyer, but this is me: My ex husband brainwashed our daughter into hating me when she was 15. Fast forward to last March (she was 24) he tells me that she’s in the hospital very sick, drs just dx her with Autoimmune Hepatitis. 2 days later, she passed away. She was unconscious the entire time I was there. We never got the chance to reconnect. I hope he thinks about this every day for the rest of his life.
#22
My ex-husband posted a video on TikTok after we separated saying something along the lines of “imagine coming home from deployment to find out your wife left you, took the dogs, took the truck, took everything” and then posted like one or two other videos about me. He failed to let everyone know none of what he said was true and that he threw one of the dogs across a room and broke his hip. He harassed my mom about bringing him “his” dog (the one he threw) for months.
#23
My dad threw us out of our house. He refused to pay child support, he was a small businesses owner and cheated on his taxes so he always reported losses, he tried to manipulate me to get my mom to sign over the rights of a plot of land she bought behind his back. He never acknowledged the harm he put us through, after 3 years of divorce he tried to sue my mom for said land and his public defender refused to take his case. They told him that if he continued, they’ll go after him for tax fraud.
#24
My ex was violent physically, mentally, emotionally. I only stayed because I got pregnant. The baby was stillborn..  he moved his best friend in and his very pregnant wife from Thailand 2 days later. I was secretly saving money to escape.. he stole it. I did escape.. but it took years to recover. But watching a pregnant stranger make plans for her baby in your house mentally ruined me. The cruelty.
#25
Not a divorce lawyer but a former banker. An ex wife was going through a divorce and had to have special permission and passwords on her account because her husband called daily to try to empty the account and sell the houses from under her. It was a disgusting battle.
#26
My husbands ex. Not anywhere near as bad as some of these, but they were together for about 10 years. Had two kitties; one who was mainly hers, one who was mainly his. After they separated, he moved out, and she kept the cats while he figured out his living situation so she could keep their apartment. Without telling him, she went and had his cat put to sleep for no reason. That was about 13 years ago, and I can tell it still hurts him. He keeps a photo of Fat Cat on his desk to this day.
#27
Not a lawyer but survivor. My ex withheld support because I would not go back to him. Went to court and he paid 3 months worth of support so he wouldnt go to jail. At that point I was living in a half a million dollar house, lights off, and had lost my job a few months prior...After that court date I booked a ticket LA, packed my stuff, left mercedes at the airport and literally moved to LA with $25 to my name.
#28
No divorce lawyer. But my dad made his ex wife sell the first home she'd ever bought because he wanted something brand new and bigger. After they moved into the new house, he got a condo that he would go to on weekends. Then eventually he made her sell the brand new house that i'm sure was in her name, took half the money, then got up and moved to another city and left her behind.
#29
I lost insurance coverage because my ex took a job without my knowledge while in inpatient eating disorder treatment. Verbally and emotionally attacked me while in family therapy sessions with my therapist present. Sent divorce papers and kicked me out of our home while I was in the middle of treatment in a different state claiming I’d never get better when all updates said otherwise. Threatened to sue me, to “make me pay,” and to send ICE to my family. I am doing much better thanks to me!
#30
My ex-husband cheated on me, walked out of our marriage and started divorce proceedings after my first round of chemotherapy for breast cancer.
#31
Not a lawyer but a family law paralegal:
1. A man sent his wife and kids on a trip and when they came back the house had been emptied, he was no where to be found never heard from again.
2. Another man cheated on his wife with her best friend got the friend pregnant, moved in with the best friend and tried to kick his wife and kids out of the marital home by changing the locks. Cut off her access to all accounts. Stopped paying all the bills and kids tuition as well and took her car.
#32
My bff in high school, her mom had an oops baby at 40, dad decided to come clean with his affair, a hideous woman he worked with. He was law enforcement and she was SAHM so of course he had the better lawyer. When court ordered custody she couldn’t interact with the baby or 8 year old son when it was his time. They were all at the same event to support my friend, and the children were crying for their mom they could see and he didn’t allow her to go them… sickening.
#33
My ex husband had someone call our car insurance company and cancel my insurance without telling me. I was pulled over and my car towed with our 9 month old in my car.
#34
This whole thread saddens me and probably the reason why I'm in my 40's and never got married. I over heard one of my moms friends tell her after 12 years of marriage and one son together. She found out she had HIV. When she confronted her husband who was a naval officer, come to find out he was downlow. He told her he only married her to keep the secret from his parents because they were super religious and wanted grand children. She cried like a baby to my mom and I never forgot.
#35
My ex got an emergency child protection order by saying I was dangerous and he didn't know where I was...when I was having an emergency surgery to save my life ( I eternal bleeding requiring a 4 hour surgery that I barely survived)... that HE took me to.
I had to fight for over a year to be able to see or talk to my kids.
He then proceeded to make sure the divorce took every penny we had mutually...including our multiple homes, and vehicles. It took TEN YEARS and I ended up with not 1 cent.
#36
Not a lawyer— She also called the cops on me and had me sent to the psych ward cause I was tired of her nonsense. Said I was violent but I’ve never laid a hand on her. Got a restraining order against me so I couldn’t even enter my own house or see my son. She changed the locks on the house I bought using MY VA LOAN when I was gone. The cops couldn’t do anything because it was a civil matter so I was forced to live in my own basement while my ex wife cheated freely upstairs.
She ended up winning the house in the divorce because in the state of GA, as long as a young child is involved and the mother is not PHYSICALLY violent or an alcoholic, she’s all but guaranteed custody of the child. And since a 600k house was involved, for the “stability of the child” she was awarded the house. I lost everything I had built for 7 years just to have her keep my son away from me for a year after the divorce. This is the tip of the iceberg. The full story needs a whole movie script.
#37
Not a lawyer; but I’ll share My experience: my ex awarded himself $250k in a default divorce & took my boys from me.
4 years later I’m still fighting against that judgement but I’m self employed & his a 100% vet plus makes 6 figures a year.
He taught me a bitter & perverted man will take you to HELL because of the hate he has for himself!
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