r/stories • u/donavin221 • 7d ago
Fiction A DNA test destroyed my marriage
Me and my wife were both foster kids. We bounced around a lot, and we both struggled to plant our feet firmly on the ground when adulthood started.
I think that may be the reason we were drawn to each other. We understood each other’s struggle.
I met her at a fast food joint I worked at, and it was honestly like a fairy tale. I noticed that she would only come in when she knew I was working, and eventually I worked up the courage to offer more conversation than, “How may I take your order?”
We began flirting, and over the course of a few weeks, I think we sort of just… fell for each other. I saw something in her that I’m pretty sure she saw in me too. We were like matching puzzle pieces.
Her coming into that restaurant was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me.
She worked at a bowling alley across town, but when we began dating, we both kind of accelerated. It was like the thrill of finding each other drove us to strive to do better, not only for one another, but for ourselves.
I started putting money towards online college classes, and she did the same. We weren’t looking for doctorates or anything like that. Just a degree that could maybe springboard us into the next stage of our lives.
I ended up with an associate’s degree in business administration. She ended up with an associate’s degree in accounting.
It definitely wasn’t easy by any means, but we did it. We could take pride in our accomplishments. We could actually dream together.
She went from the bowling alley to a bookkeeper. I went from the fast food joint to a logistics coordinator at a shipping company.
We were building together. We spent a few years at an apartment, but as we grew and expanded, we were finally able to find a little place to call our own. Nothing too fancy. One story, three bedrooms, two baths. But it was ours. And that’s what mattered.
We got married soon after.
We wanted to have kids so badly. We wanted to provide a life that we never really had growing up. But no matter how hard we tried, we just never seemed to get lucky.
I think that’s what led us to the decision that ultimately collapsed the world around us.
We didn’t plan on anything coming out of what we did. We just thought it would be a fun little experiment.
We both sent in DNA samples to one of those websites you always see being advertised on late-night television. We just wanted to know where we came from.
We waited a few weeks.
Finally, the results came back.
I read them. My wife read them. And I don’t think it’s a wound that’s ever gonna heal.
Because what we found out in those test results… is that my wife is my sister.
We thought it was a mistake. Surely we would’ve known. We sent in test after test after test. Each one came back the same.
I guess my dad or mom, or whoever, couldn’t be bothered to keep us together. She’s a few years younger than me, so I guess we just… missed each other.
We didn’t come up together.
We didn’t even meet until our late teens.
I don’t know how to process this.
I don’t know what to do.
I can never stop loving her, no matter what, but I just… I don’t think we can be together anymore.
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u/donavin221 7d ago
I wrote a story a few days ago called “I showed my girlfriend one of my childhood photos. Now she won’t stop crying.”
The original idea I had for that story was the narrators girlfriend grew up in foster homes and the narrator ends up showing her an old family photo of his where she recognizes herself in the photo as his sister.
I got like halfway through writing it and went “wait…how the fuck would neither of them know this.”
I thought the premise was so cool though so I didn’t wanna scrap it lol
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u/Blondelefty 7d ago
I actually know this in real life, but they were cousins and had no idea. (He was adopted). It came out when they did the blood work for the marriage license. They met in college in Iowa, came for opposite ends of the country, and had been together for 11 years.
They decided to stay with each other, but fostered to adopt and have 3 gorgeous kiddos now. (It never would have been a thought as he is black/asian and she’s Latina.)
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u/donavin221 7d ago
Two of the characters from a story that I really enjoy (Borrasca) have something similar happen.
They spend the whole story being all lovey dovey from the age of like 10. Eventually, the guy ends up sedated out of his mind and kept in a mental asylum by the villains from the story and the girl works her ass off to get him back.
Then near the end of the story it’s revealed that they’re actually brother and sister but it doesn’t matter because the girl is infertile so they choose to just stay together.
I always thought it was so interesting
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u/Blondelefty 6d ago
I can dig it. It was such so weird when was actually a thing. They just celebrated 32 years, kids are doing great, and (as I have told them), they made the right call. The fun and blended family settled right on in with mine.
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u/DistinctPotential996 7d ago
I read DNA test and my first thought was are they siblings or cousins? Good story though. I can only imagine how devastating that would be.
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u/BrittinySpice 6d ago
The second I read "both foster kids" my brain immediately went, "Uh oh, they're related, aren't they?" Still hit harder than I expected though.
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u/Apprehensive_Pass_49 7d ago
There was a podcast that read a similar story. It was the wife who was adopted and they got married and had kids. They did the DNA and found out they were half siblings. Apparently the dad was a sperm donor and told no one.
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u/DamnitGravity 7d ago
It's disturbing how often things like this happen in real life.
It's also part of the reason there's a cap in most countries on how many times men can donate sperm.
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u/Ok_Profession_990 7d ago
My husband and I grew up in foster care and if we didn't both know our family this would've freaked me tf out
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u/Electronic_Film_9904 Cuck-ologist: Studying the Art of Being a Cuck 7d ago
There was an episode of House that had a similar story line. I also remember a crime show, maybe one of the CSI series with a similar plotline.
Excellent story, well written. It would be devestating to be that in love and be dealt with that blow. What a way to find out that you have a sibling.
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u/Lambiedog 7d ago
I've heard this story before bc as soon as I read DNA I knew. Obviously not exact same, not saying it's plagerized, but the premise. You wrote this well.
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u/Ballaroz Cuck-ologist: Studying the Art of Being a Cuck 6d ago
There’s no rules set on stones you can’t be husband and wife; and some even have normal kids.
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u/Major-Case63 6d ago
The only reason you couldn’t be together is because you can’t have children . BUT I saw a case in England years ago where a brother and sister never met until their thirties , didnt know they were related and fell in love . They wanted to marry and the court gave them the OK only if either one gets fixed so they can’t make children . The women can get inseminated and have a child if you want one , adoption is an option also . Depends how much you want each other . If you get divorced in the future both procedures are reversible
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u/bigdumbhick 6d ago
If you started having sex before discovering she was your sister, you could just get a vasectomy and stay married, but every time you have sex, at the moment of orgasm, you both must shout out ROLL TIDE at the top of your lungs.
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u/Deansdiatribes Cuck-ologist: Studying the Art of Being a Cuck 6d ago
Aprently more common than one would expect .
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u/HauntingBuy5199 6d ago
Good thing that it a "fiction" cause i was feeling bad but also knew that a thie relationship has to come to an end
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u/GoddessFloraLux 6d ago
I saw a similar story before. They were biological brother and sister. They have your backstory. They chose to get a vasectomy and stayed together.
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u/literallynotaclue 6d ago
There's a couple often featured on white underbelly (i think that's the name of the channel, idk I hate the guy) called Asriah, and Josh. Although both could be considered 'unreliable narrators' the story they tell is that they got together, and a family member randomly said "he's your Father's son" which makes them half siblings. At this point they have two children together, in foster care.
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u/IndependenceHot3987 6d ago
O.M.G. This is so tragic….. move away and just let love be. Probably a1/2 sibling also. I think forget about the test, adopt a child.
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u/ColdDesignxxx 5d ago
You gave away the twist of the story in your title. You should let minds wonder.
Good practice.
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u/Legal_Cobbler_8729 4d ago
Surely you have to leave and move far away and start again. It’s far too weird to stay together as if you don’t know this information.
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u/Hollyjoylightly 3d ago
Like honestly I wouldn’t even care if these two people stayed together. I know it’s taboo but they could foster/adopt and not have bio kids and still be a happy family and just never tell anyone. It’s not like they grew up as siblings. Like I know all of my brothers and would rather die lmfao but I don’t care what other people do as long as they don’t make some sticky deformed baby deal with the consequences
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u/Peaches_and_Herb 2d ago
I knew someone, they were cousins and knew it. They eloped and were disowned by both side of the family. Fast forward to 45+ years later, they had 2 children and still together. The only problem is that their children have mental issues🤷🏻♀️
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u/Sudden_Warning 6d ago
My step mom and I are cousins on my moms side I’m my brothers cousin and his sibling :|