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There's a big difference between hiding something from the world for yourself and covering for other people.

Your own secrets can definitely haunt you, but someone else's dirty laundry can feel like a responsibility—or even a ticking time bomb you never asked for. Because sometimes the truth isn't just embarrassing or uncomfortable; it could cost a person their career, their marriage, or their freedom.

So, to relieve at least some of that pressure, one Reddit user asked the internet: "What's a secret you know about someone that would absolutely destroy their life if it ever came out?"

The thousands of replies prove that sharing anonymously behind a screen might be the closest thing to a confession in a situation like this.

#1

A couple sharing a tender moment, hinting at shared secrets people weren’t supposed to know. Mentioned it before but I know a married couple who are half siblings. Overheard the drunk parents talking about it one night. By that point they were already married and I know they can't have kids so why rock the boat. It's more the fact the two parents knew before the wedding and didn't say anything that threw me.

Bean-Pen , CAMERA TREASURE Report

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    #2

    A man with a surprised expression, reacting to secrets that weren't supposed to be known. My previous boss wanted to show me pictures on his phone of his vacation to France, he opens the camera roll and the first thing I see is a series of pictures of him posing in the mirror wearing a bikini, it was a split second but we both know what happened. He pretended it never happened…I pretended I didn’t see anything. The following months he would awkwardly always find a way to join the conversation if he sees me chatting with people in the office or during a happy hour.

    Just to make it clear I couldn’t care less if he likes to cross dress or not and I don’t think this is something to be ashamed of…he never tried to portray himself as an alpha guy or anything but he is a quiet serious guy in his mid 50s.

    SadAppearance9004 , Mario Amé Report

    Lady Gypsy Rain
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Had a job working as the overnight manager in a gas station. Every night after my help left for the night, this lovely man would come in to visit in full on women’s clothes. I think I became his one safe person because he started with just a gorgeous fur coat that I absolutely fawned over. He was testing the waters because before my morning help came in, he would be back in his work coveralls accompanied by all of his coworkers that he ride shared with. When he realized I keep my trap shut and wouldn’t out him, he started coming in dresses and just some very lovely clothes. I always complimented his taste and never spilled the beans. I hated leaving that job cuz I worried about him and a few other people that I always looked out after.

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    Keeping secrets does not automatically make you a bad person. In fact, it's perfectly normal. American psychologist Dr. Michael Slepian is the author of The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are. According to his research, people keep multiple secrets at any given time—at least on average.

    For one study, Slepian and his team asked a couple of thousand people, "What is a secret you're currently keeping right now?" They then looked at the responses, analyzed the themes, and identified 38 common categories. The researchers gave this list to another group of people and, sure enough, 97% of them said they currently had at least one of the secrets from the list. The average person had 13, five of which they had never told anyone.

    #3

    A woman with a shocked expression, reacting to secrets people weren’t supposed to know and the damage they could do. Soon after my marriage, we found out My MIL was having an affair with my brother...😳🤨.

    Otherwise-Feeling770 , Vitaly Gariev Report

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    #4

    An illustration of an anime character with vibrant colors, reflecting the hidden secrets people weren’t supposed to know. Friend of mine is a pastor at a megachurch, one of the biggest in the city.

    On the side, he is the most degenerate furry artist out there. Drawing some of the most shocking stuff in a fanbase that is already shocking in itself. Only I and 3 others know about his online furry life since it's our friend group from high school.

    Apparently the guy makes bank off it too cause even back in our 20's it was his full time job while we were all suffering at retail and getting through college. We are in our 30's now and he never stopped. He has an absolutely monstrous twitter following.

    Equivalent_Clerk0 , MikuMarmalade Report

    Earthquake903
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If it's a big enough megachurch, he's making way more as the pastor.

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    #5

    A person calculating finances with receipts, possibly revealing secrets people weren’t supposed to know. An old boss (who still owns and operates the same company) once confessed to me that his accountancy firm are blackmailing him. He used to own a couple of companies and casually transferred money between them and to himself in a way that’s definitely not legal. His accountancy firm basically stopped doing their job so he told them that he was going to find someone else. And they said “well, that’s perfectly within your rights. However, we’re deliberately not looking into the suspicious activity on dates x, y, z, etc., etc., etc. When we hand over documents to any new firm we will absolutely have to disclose all of this. Let us know where we should send the paperwork…”.

    Kimantha_Allerdings , kaboompics Report

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    Slepian told the American Psychological Association's podcast 'Speaking of Psychology' that the most popular secrets include telling a lie and not wanting it to become known. Romantic desire—while you're not in a relationship—is also a very common one, as are money and things related to sex.

    "What's so difficult about just simply having a secret, a secret that you might not ever have to hide in conversation—if it's something you care about, or if it's something that's bothering you, to choose to be alone with that thing tends to not help," Slepian explained.

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    "We tend to not develop the healthiest ways of thinking about these struggles we keep entirely to ourselves, and so even whether you're hiding it frequently or not, your mind is going to return to this thing time and time again, and you're not going to know what to do with it."

    #6

    A happy young boy with his mother, unaware of any secrets people weren't supposed to know. A close friend miracle baby after years of fertility struggles is actually the neighbor’s. Her husband has no idea, but the kid is starting to look identical to the guy next door.

    LovelyyCauliflowerr , Ron Lach Report

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    #7

    A young boy with a secret, depicting things people weren't supposed to know. I have a friend who has an adult child that doesn't belong to her husband. It's so obvious too, he has dark hair and brown eyes, the child is pale, red head and bright blue eyes. Mom also has dark hair and eyes. Her first cousin has bright red hair and blue eyes. I know they were doing the deed during that time as I caught them in a car at a bowling alley and was making fun of them for it. lol We were both 18 at the time so i was certainly mocking her and then the pregnancy test was positive. First words out of her mouth was oh, gotta find a man to blame this on... cue meeting a guy at that same bowling alley a few weeks later and boom, she had an instant baby daddy. Still together 25 yrs later. Crazy stuff. Surely this dude must know by now, his biological kids look very different. She just tells him that the oldest looks like her cousin, because she does, she is his cousins. Bonkers.

    Prestigious-Ad-5292 , Dijitalkadrajım 42 Report

    Lady Gypsy Rain
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair, there is a thing about recessive genes and they can show up at any point. In my family, my mom is brown hair and eyes and the guy she was married to first that gave up some swimmers twice (refuse to call that man a parent) he was also brown hair and eyes. I have black hair and brown eyes and can get a good tan, my middle sibling is red hair with blue eyes and pretty pale. And there is no doubt of parentage as the recessive gene is on both sides.

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    #8

    A person wearing a red MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN hat with an American flag in the background, representing secrets. I know a MAGA Congressman that is secretly gay and *prefers* trans-women.

    It'd be hilarious in its absurdity if it wasn't so cliche and hateful.

    PapaTua , Polina Zimmerman Report

    Earthquake903
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is why Grindr crashes anytime there's a GOP convention

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    Slepian also added that, "If someone confides a secret in you and you have totally overlapping social networks, you're now essentially keeping the secret for them, too, or if only certain people are allowed to know, it can get burdensome really quickly. But if it's something that's not directly relevant to some folks in your shared social network, it's not as difficult."

    Another person's secret becomes burdensome when it's something we find ourselves turning to time and time again. But there's a good side to it, too. The psychologist said we feel glad that other people feel comfortable confiding in us. We see that as an active intimacy that brings us closer together.

    #9

    A woman laughing joyfully, potentially having heard surprising secrets people weren’t supposed to know. Nearly 20 years ago, I was working in a massage parlour (yes, that kind), to help pay for university. One evening, I hear the door open, in walks a man in a trenchcoat stinking of cologne. It was my professor. Who got married maybe a month before.

    He played stupid and said 'Oh, I'm looking for uh... the Chinese restaurant?' (There was a Chinese restaurant next door, but with a very obvious entrance)

    I've never seen someone flee so fast in their life.

    Yes, I did finish that course with an A. LMAO.

    32pu , Alessandra Araújo Report

    #10

    A smiling man with a beard and glasses plays cards, looking at the camera. This image relates to secrets and how they could do damage. I was a newspaper journalist — back when there were newspapers. In a bar once, I bumped into a prominent local real estate developer. We started chatting, had a few (more) drinks.

    He tells me about his yacht, which he sails around the world. He particularly likes Thailand.

    Oh, why?

    Because life is cheap there. You can get a girl — young, never been touched before — and do anything you want for $50, maybe $100 if she’s really young.

    I finished my drink and got the hell out. Never told anybody about it. Figured he’d deny it, say the paper’s out to get him.

    EDIT: Lots of accusatory comments asking why I didn’t report him.

    First, this happened 35 years ago, when I was in my mid 20s. I was stunned, never having heard human trafficking. The awareness campaigns of the past several years are doing their job.

    Second, report to whom? American law enforcement has no jurisdiction in Thailand. To the person who mentioned Googling a Thai tipline: This was in the 80s. Very few people were online.

    Third, my word against his. I was a reporter in a small city making $25,000, who’d be accusing a multimillionaire of godawfulness. Who’s winning that conflict?

    To the person who said I should’ve recorded his admission: I didn’t have my cassette recorder on me, not anticipating the need in a bar. Again, this was 20 years before smartphones existed outside of sci-fi.

    Fourth, I have no idea whether the guy is still alive. He was in his late 50s then, so he’d be in his 90s now. I haven’t been back to that city since moving on a little after.

    Finally, I have to admit some moral failure. I should have found a way to bring his activities to light. I accept that now. Then, it was easier to shake my head and go on.

    EveningFragrant5107 , Mikhail Nilov Report

    Earthquake903
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The people who could stop this from happening do not care

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    #11

    A child covering their face, representing damaging secrets people weren't supposed to know. My uncle groomed me while he was babysitting me and tried to get me to talk to men in chat rooms before I could even read.

    dizzydiplodocus , cottonbro studio Report

    #12

    A man in military fatigues saluting, representing secrets people weren't supposed to know. My sister's husband is a fake veteran. He does the whole stolen valor thing to get free meals and discounts. Claims he was "medically discharged". But my uncle has a nephew on his side of his family that works for homeland security. AND! My uncle on my mom's side works trains military police. Both have multiple connections and through some secret side snooping they both uncovered that my sister's husband, in fact, was not medically discharged but kicked out of basic training for consuming substances on base. He never saw combat, never went over seas, never even left the state he was training in. I've been keeping this for a rainy day when I need to use it.

    paleobear1 , Jaxon Matthew Willis Report

    #13

    A woman looking sad and reflecting on secrets people weren’t supposed to know and the damage they could do. Towards the end of a relationship’ I started secretly recording the violent anger outbursts I received from my ex. He has a butter wouldn’t melt image and was able to turn a lot of people against me. I think about hiring a big projector screen and inviting a load of his friends, family and work colleagues.

    RebeccaPolly , Engin Akyurt Report

    #14

    A man embraces and kisses a woman on the cheek, both dressed in leather jackets. This image relates to secrets and how they could do damage. I almost bumped into my boss’s boss’s boss one day with a woman whom I presumed was his wife. They were standing and kissing outside a venue in the middle of the afternoon, so they weren’t exactly sneaking about. The guy was generally a bit of a Jerk and I didn’t want to spoil my day, so kept out of their way.
    A few months later at a work event i was introduced to a different (and lovely) lady as his wife.
    Maybe it was all above board, and everyone knew about it, but I doubt it.

    InTheFDN , Shvets Anna Report

    #15

    Two people talk between parked cars in a dimly lit underground parking garage. This image relates to secrets and how they could do damage. A decade ago I worked in a team of about 20 people. After friday afternoon drinks, on my way home, I saw the assistent manager and the new intern drive up to a hotel parking lot together.

    The assistent manager was approx. 10-12 years older, married and had kids, and the intern had just finished her school and moved into a new house with her boyfriend.

    I worked there for another 2 years and during that time this went on and on. Both still in relationships.

    I'd met his wife several times during company parties, but I couldn't stomach destroying her world by telling this.

    They are still married, kids are teenagers now.

    iPhonevanBremdKopjes , Gera Cejas Report

    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    An imposing bank building in black and white, featuring grand columns. This image relates to secrets and how they could do damage. I know a lot about behind the corruption of a large bank, multiple people involved and how they are cheating the system and also technically the customers - I plan on whistleblowing everything when I quit.

    Also aware of a friend who cheats on his wife and they have a son, I live in a different city so we aren’t super close, I’ve told him off before but he suffers from wandering eye syndrome. Poor woman, she’s a beautiful kind and intellectual, definitely deserves more.

    Difficult_Thought_45 , Etienne Martin Report

    livvygt18
    Community Member
    48 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wish I could tell OP to send that “poor woman” an anonymous message that simply reads “Check his phone.”

    #17

    A man in a suit sitting on stairs, smiling while talking on a phone, perhaps discussing secrets and their damage. Friend, a director at a global data company, disclosed to me when drunk the fraud scheme he is running between his employer and his own offshore businesses. He is a multimillionaire yet at his company he is a middle manager with average salary lol.

    Swimming-Coconut-363 , Vitaly Gariev Report

    #18

    A man in a yellow NYC taxi looks out the window, revealing secrets people weren't supposed to know. I'm a night shift taxi driver in a beachside town. There aren't many cabs here, and no Uber presence, so you get to know the regular taxi users.

    This town turns into a massive party every weekend. People go nuts on booze and blow. The number of times I've driven someone to a hotel/motel/house that is not theirs, with someone who I *know* is not their spouse ...

    I rarely get involved with this kind of stuff. These people are my customers, not my friends, no matter how friendly I may be with them. Statistically, many of them are cheating, and cheating regularly; but I also have no way of knowing whether individuals may be in open relationships, or swingers, or whatever. Not my business to know, not my business to ask.

    Cinelinguic , Tim Samuel Report

    #19

    A woman with a headache, possibly from damaging secrets people weren't supposed to know. Not now as it has came out but I knew a friend ( she was my best friend ) was having an affair. I was in deep with her did everything together so to my shame I kept it secret. A few years later her partner got a critical illness and she decided she didn’t want to look after a disabled man so she left him for the affair partner. It had been going on all the time. I heavy distance myself from her I don’t speak to her at all. I speak to the ex partner he comes to my house for meals a lot.

    Helen-the-welsh-one , Liza Summer Report

    Rathoren
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You are just as much of an a*s at her for not telling him then afterwards pretending to be his friend!!

    #20

    A pair of crutches and a foot in a medical boot, hinting at secrets that could do a lot of damage. I have a true nemesis, we’ve been enemies for 15 years. Her 11 year old son had a broken leg this spring. Somehow I ended up being the only one who knows that SHE RAN OVER HIM. It was a tragic accident and I haven’t told a soul because she begged me not to.

    Lowerbrush , Oliver King Report

    #21

    A woman's hand resting on a man's arm, both wearing rings, depicting personal secrets or hidden relationships. Someone I work with is sleeping with a married man. She is terrible and is absolutely old enough to know better. I am so disgusted when I see her at work. If your husband is a trainer at the north Frederick One Life your husband is sleeping with a 26 year old who is emotionally stunted and 1000% a pick me girl who is willing to destroy lives because he “picked her”.

    Puthyputhyputhy , Alex Urezkov Report

    Daisydaisy
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would say it's the (probably older) married man who's choosing to destroy lives even more than she is.

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    #22

    A woman holding a sleeping baby, looking thoughtfully out a window, potentially keeping secrets. My ex spouse has no idea he has another child. He’s not good to our own children, so I keep that business to myself and respect the mother’s wishes. It’s not my place. I keep in touch with her though. She’s a wonderful mom.

    DefNot3Raccoons , kaboompics Report

    #23

    Two colleagues discussing secrets people weren’t supposed to know in an office. Every time my sister meets new groups of people (uni, work, friends) she tells them that she has a twin sister. She uses the twin as an excuse, not to say hi, not to stop and not to talk to people, etc. She also impersonates her twin.

    Except that she does not have a twin!!!

    I only know about this because once at uni, a friend of hers that I barely knew came to say how sorry she was that our twin sister had been ill and passed away. I confronted my sister and she admitted she had this elaborate web of lies going and was using it to get out to anything she did not want to do including some exams. W*f.

    batsandpumpkins , Thirdman Report

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    On the one hand, that's horrible. On the other hand, I'd be fascinated to know how long she can keep this up and what she can get away with. I only hope she doesn't use it to f**k around on a boyfriend.

    #24

    A woman writing in a notebook, perhaps documenting damaging secrets people weren't supposed to know. My high school's vice principle (think that's her role now?) sleeps with students. The signs were there, you could see how she spoke to some of the male students compared to others. My school hired a videographer for the prom and when my folks watched the DVD they pointed out the way she was dancing around and her eyes were scouting the male students. Found out a few years after high school from a few guys that confirmed they slept with her, one was 15 at the time.

    Secret_Agent_666 , AI25.Studio Studio Report

    #25

    A man looking shocked at his phone, realizing some secrets could do a lot of damage by airing them. I saw a video of a huge celeb that only a small handful of people have seen that would have possibly ruined their career. Maybe not today with how crazy things are, maybe they could apologize for it. But it was like 2001 and it would have definitely hurt them bad. I just moved to LA and my roommate at the time worked for WB and his friend was an exec there. So the exec friend was out partying with the celeb and he took a video on his flip phone of the person acting insane and saying a bunch of racist stuff. It looked like the morning after a binge and it looked like it was the back alleys behind the Roxy or those sunset clubs. So anyway he showed my roommate in his office, then stepped out for a minute and my roommate stole a copy of the video on a thumb drive that he always carried with him lol. And we were all broke in a lousy apartment so I was like MAAN WE HAVE GOT TO SELL THIS TO THE TABLOIDS THIS IS INSANE!! And he was like yea but then my friend will know I stole it. So we just watched it a few times and that was it.

    MGPS , Helena Lopes Report

    #26

    A thoughtful woman resting her face in her hand, contemplating secrets she wasn't supposed to know. Years ago I went overseas with my partner at the time and a few of his married male friends. The last night we were there the other guys had a large group of girls back to our accomodation and very openly got with all of them, bragging the next morning and saying it needed to be ‘a secret’. One of the guys had an IVF appointment the morning he got back, he and his wife had twins later that year. I always felt bad I didn’t say anything but I didn’t know these guys well or their wives at all. Found out a few years later he and that partner are divorced.

    I guess this wouldn’t ruin their lives now, but things could have been very different for them both if she had known.

    audreygiselle , Tokuo Nobuhiro Report

    #27

    A man with a surprised expression eating popcorn, reacting to shocking secrets he wasn't supposed to know. One of my friends had a affair with a really famous actress that’s in an public longterm relationship. It’s not only about the affair itself, but the actress really opened up about her life and the industry - including various not public scandals that would definitely cause some trouble.
    What also matters is that my friend is 20 and the actress 40+, and it’s nothing you would expect.

    Safe_Task7712 , Sammie Sander Report

    #28

    A close-up of a couple, with the woman's hand on the man's chest, hinting at intimate secrets. A distant friend cheated her entire dating relationship and beginning of their marriage.

    They’ve been together since highschool so for over 20 yrs.
    Now they are happy and traveling- no kids and she is finally putting him on her social media.

    He doesn’t know a thing, i despise women and men who cheat on their partners.
    Just break up with them.

    Also I’ve been going back and fourth about being anonymous and tell him but then seem to best friends at this point and really happy.

    She can not have kids and he always wanted kids and he sacrificed not having them for her.

    Successful-Gap777 , Froydd97 Report

    #29

    A medical professional taking a baby's footprint, symbolizing personal secrets and sensitive information. My Dad is on someone's birth certificate as their Father, but my Uncle is the actual Dad. At 17 I learned my dad had an older son. I thought it meant I had an older brother I never knew about and wasn't allowed to ask about, but my mom told me the truth a few months before I turned 18.

    My dad and his siblings got put in foster care for awhile when my Nan had a mental breakdown and stayed in the hospital for a bit. This was back in the 80s. They split all the siblings up except for my dad and youngest uncle. They landed in the house of an older woman who was married but it was one of those marriages that was for money and not actually being in love. They lived in a mansion type home in the richer areas of New Jersey. During that time, my uncle who was underage in his early teens, started an 'affair' with their foster mom. He got her pregnant and because my dad was closer to 18 the foster mom convinced him to put his name on the birth certificate so she wouldn't get in trouble. She paid both my dad and uncle money for the situation. She raised the child, my dad had no part of the kids life other than keeping the secret, and my uncle went through life playing along as a brother to his own child.

    It was weird too, because the foster mom is still around the family today. She gets invited to family functions, funerals, weddings. She's paid for homes for my uncle, gives him a 10k allowance every month, etc. I've never personally met her son, but he also comes to family functions and my uncles kids even treat him like a close cousin. Once I learned that, a lot of the other messed up stuff in the family came to light, but like, this was the wildest in my opinion. Everyone doesn't see an issue with it and just calls it an affair. I don't care if my uncle started it, she was a grown adult knowing he was only 13.

    Yeah so, foster mom seduced underage uncle, had kid, my dad took the father role to keep his brother safe and get some money, and my uncle gets money and basically a free ride the whole rest of his life so long as he keeps his mouth shut about his 'brother'.

    Similar-Conclusion69 , Vidal Balielo Jr. Report

    Multa Nocte (she/her/8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She gives him a 10K allowance every month and has paid for several homes?

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    #30

    Stacks of money on a table with a person in the background, hinting at financial secrets. My uncle was a corrections officer (retired now), he spent his career networking and connecting w dealers. I have no idea how much he made, but at my moms wake he got drunk, opened his safe, pulled out stacks of cash and said “let me teach you about making real money”

    I left bc I was a wreck from my moms passing and couldn’t handle his ego, but the way the economy looking I should’ve stayed haha.

    MentionThisToMe_ , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

    #31

    A man with curly hair and glasses, looking surprised with his hand over his mouth, having heard secrets. I could ruin two people’s lives. My best friend was sleeping with his gf’s step mom. My buddy has been dating the same girl since middle school. ( we’re all 20 now). His gf lives with her dad and step mom. We are all in the same friend group. Back in freshman year of HS gf’s dad married the step mom. So last year he tells me the secret and made me promise not to tell anyone. Of course I tell him he’s lying and don’t believe him. Then a couple weeks later or so, he sends me a picture completely out of nowhere. It was a picture of the step mom, completely undressed from the waist down wearing a t shirt while riding in the passenger seat of his truck. A few days later when we hung out, he begged and begged me to delete the photo. Made me open my phone and delete it while he was watching. I did delete it, but also saved it to another folder lol.

    Square_Gain9072 , Pavel Danilyuk Report

    #32

    My ex partner has been duped by a guy at work into being “just friends”.

    He has a terrible reputation with taking advantage of female employees. She knows this.

    He’s also fairly senior. A few colleagues/ peers have mentioned to me that they see what he’s doing, and she should run a mile, as should he cross a line (which it seems to be heading in that direction) - that SHE will suffer and he’ll carry on in his role, because he’s far more valuable to the company.

    I’ve tried telling her this, but as expected - she feels I’m just “the jealous ex”.

    There’s going to be one hell of a “I told you so” moment. The secret here is that she’s unaware that EVERYONE can see this coming and are talking about it.

    Sykryk Report

    #33

    The biological father of my sister’s oldest son.

    Sister had an affair with a married man (S) just after splitting with her partner (M). Got pregnant with S’s child then got back with M. He knew he wasn’t the father as they had been apart too long but he didn’t mind. They then had another son together before splitting up for good and he doesn’t have any contact (his choice) with the boys, who believe they are full brothers.

    They’re teenagers now and given the amount of people who know the truth, it’s only a matter of time. Another year or two and the oldest is going to go back to the town he was born in, looking for his “father”, M, and he will find out the truth. M has an older daughter from a previous relationship and I believe she is in touch with my sister on facebook so no wonder my sister won’t allow her kids anywhere near social media - imagining a “hi, we’re your brothers” and her saying “well, one of you is”.

    It’s going to be devastating for him (my nephew) and the fall-out for her (my sister) will be huge.

    leftmysoulthere74 Report

    #34

    A woman with a confused expression, perhaps reacting to damage caused by airing secrets. My extremely homophobic ex is bi. I didnt mind he was bi, but the homophobia was disgusting.

    pushthepanicx , Ron Lach Report

    #35

    A father and baby decorating a Christmas tree, sharing hidden family secrets. I am quite surprised how many dads in my & my wife's families aren't the biological fathers of their offspring. And how few people know or have figured it out.

    lopix , Helena Lopes Report

    #36

    Gerald, retired colonel, thinks he's descended from aristocracy. He has a portrait of "Great-Aunt Agatha" above his fireplace – claims she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria. I found his family tree on Ancestry. Great-Aunt Agatha never existed. His grandfather was a fishmonger from Hull. The portrait is a Victorian painting he bought at a car boot sale. If this came out, he'd be socially destroyed. In our village, being exposed as a fraud about your class is worse than a criminal record. He'd have to emigrate to Australia. I don't tell anyone. But every time he corrects my pronunciation of "scone", I just smile and say, "Quite right, Colonel Fishmonger." That's the British apocalypse – not prison, but the wrong ancestors at tea time.

    Hot_Cockroach_8631 Report

    Multa Nocte (she/her/8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    British people - is this possible? Wouldn't everyone know?

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    #37

    A teacher I had once "dated" me for a few months. He was married, but kept it very hidden, like they lived in different houses and everything and I found out. He told me that it was open because they were both pretty independent and my naive self believed him.

    I am 99% suer that they were not open, because he claimed it was "don't ask don't tell" and she started to act very weird towards me when we met. I am extremely sure that he would get in trouble because he is connected with the church as well. He broke it off with me because I kept questioning the situation.

    He is also in a profession where it would completely destroy him. For several years after, I just tried to become successful enough to go public with it but it never worked out. I am certain I am not the only one, but previous ones were isolated and scattered across the world after finishing studies.

    Miserable_Aardvark_3 Report

    #38

    I quit going to my church because I found out the Minister beats his wife and everyone in town thinks he is so perfect. I know because the Police have been called numerous times {my husband is a Police Officer) and she has been taken to hospital. Charges were filed BUT it's amazing how quickly they dissappeared. Thak goodness the Minister has since died and his wife is now safe.

    Dear-Hunt-5365 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    33 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank God.......hehe heh

    #39

    I had a friend back in the day whose dad was in prison and despite their situation, their family still managed to buy cars, invest in businesses, and travel pretty often. My friend told me that you could still run certain businesses while serving time. I won't get into what kind of business it was, but I'm sure some people already know the kind of thing I'm talking about.

    Small-Assistance-726 Report

    G A
    Community Member
    31 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just cos one person is in prison, goes to necessarily mean the rest of them can't have a normal life.

    #40

    A pair of feet, one in a black shoe and one bare, touching under an office desk, illustrating people's secrets. My boss was having a years long affair with someone we worked with. she resigned earlier this year to be a sahm and i honestly wonder if that’s the reason why.

    erlysunsets , Ron Lach Report

    #41

    A young man with curly blonde hair working at a computer, focused, highlighting secrets people weren't supposed to know. We have an imposter at work. The person who applied and interviewed for the job is not the person who comes in every day.

    raviyoli , cottonbro studio Report

    G A
    Community Member
    29 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why doesn't someone do something, then? We had someone try this, to get a person who couldn't even speak English, a job.

    #42

    A person with red hair covering their face with a hand, conveying the impact of airing secrets and damage. Does it count if it's already out, sort of? Coworker lied about his brother passing away suddenly, really convenient that it happed the day before he was confronted about something he did to another coworker. I know his brother personally lol. It's an ongoing HR mess as far as I know, but he got away with it for months.

    Redwird , Ruslan Rozanov Report

    #43

    A smiling woman standing behind a hotel reception desk with a bell and a map, likely hearing secrets. I worked front desk at a small hotel for 2 years, and one of our regulars was taking cash from the charity jar every Friday night. Not even fancy about it, just a pocket full of ones and a grin, and yeah, his wife still posts family Christmas pics like nothing is wrong.

    Icy_Nothing_2917 , Andrea Piacquadio Report

    G A
    Community Member
    27 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not sure how the wife's Xmas cards come into it. OP has some twisted judgemental issues...

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    #44

    A happy couple walking by the water, sharing secrets people weren’t supposed to know. My friend is gay but he married to please his family. He's a doctor and has a colleague boyfriend. They bought a condo close to the hospital and he divides his time between 2 homes.

    0_IceQueen_0 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

    #45

    A happy family with a new baby revealing shared secrets people weren't supposed to know. There is a big chance that my ex-best friend's middle child is not from her husband but the guy she cheated with.

    Leonetta85 , RDNE Stock project Report

    #46

    A hand holds a white pregnancy test with a positive result. This image relates to secrets and how they could do damage. I know about a teen pregnancy and abortion that was hidden from the parents.

    kilerbunny4242 , cottonbro studio Report

    Multa Nocte (she/her/8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So keep it quiet. It's none of your business.

    #47

    When I was 11 (12?), I babysat a toddler on a local military housing area near by. The dad was deployed at the time so the mom was out a lot, especially at night to go clubbing. She let me use their computer to waste time. I was a very curious kid, so I snooped their files and found a folder of HUNDREDS of Asian child explicit contents. I was so young at the time I didn’t know what to do with the information and I wish I did tell someone.

    Then it all made sense. The wife was Southeast Asian who was in late 20’s with a frame of a 13 year old. I was bigger than her.

    Global_Speed_8405 Report

    #48

    I know a guy who's super private to the point where most of his friends don't know he doesn't use his real name on any socials, he doesn't post photos, and uses a PO Box. I know his full name and the street he lives on. Me releasing that info would be his nightmare, although it's not something I'm planning on doing. He may have lost my respect as a person (that's what happens when you berate someone for telling their friends they're starting therapy), but I'm not going to just tell everyone.

    video-kid Report

    #49

    I had a secret from my cousin . I did tell , & it did ruin his life . He doesn’t talk to me anymore & he tried getting back at me by reporting me to cps attempting to get me in trouble for things. Long story short , he made up with his ex when she went to jail for breaking into his home (i also lived there we were roommates) . She left the water running in the upstairs bedroom and water damaged the whole house. We had to move out , I went my own way & he had nowhere to go so made amends with her while she was in jail. He moved into her place , slept with her roommate the same night , I was there when it happened & I told her friend what happened & the friend told her & she kicked him out when the bail posted. Nd he’s been living in his truck last I heard . I was pretty lit when the confession came out.

    AFFYDREAMZ Report

    #50

    A group of people at a party, one man wearing a Christmas vest and blowing up a balloon. They are sharing secrets. One of my old bosses used to throw Christmas parties. His wife had spicy time with his cousin in a closet during the party.

    Atypikalgirl , RDNE Stock project Report

    #51

    I know this guy who constantly hits on me. I’m married so I’ve said no about 100 times. He’s confessed that he often sees up to 5 women at a time. He has a girlfriend right now and has asked me out recently. I know his girlfriend. Even if I was single i wouldn’t go there. He’s so undiscerning I’m not even flattered - he will literally sleep with anyone who says yes. It’s funny that he trusts me not to say anything to his girlfriend.

    IWillAssignMyOwnName Report

    #52

    I used to work for this guy about 20 years ago & basically he was getting married so went on his stag do to Cyprus, and whilst he was there he met another woman. They liked each other so carried on seeing each other, he got married 3 weeks later & had the Cyprus woman as his bit on the side for 5 years. His wife wanted a baby but he said he didn't want any kids. He eventually left his wife & had a baby with the Cyprus woman. To this day his wife only thought he met her when they split up & not on his stag do. Karma hasn't got him yet.

    ObjectiveEye5978 Report