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“I Just Want My Wife Back”: 23 Wild Secrets People Kept From Their Loved Ones
Relationships are built on trust, but let’s be honest—there are always a few harmless things you might keep to yourself. Maybe it’s your secret stash of chocolate or your obsession with cheesy rom-coms. While those little quirks are usually no big deal, hiding significant truths from your partner is a whole different story.
Recently, people online have been sharing the deepest secrets they’ve kept from their significant others, and the confessions range from heartwarming to downright shocking. Keep reading to dive into these raw, emotional stories and explore the weight of honesty in love and relationships.
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#1
She moved from her home town to be with me. Her best friend from that home town was in treatment for cancer. She would go visit him periodically. I was good friends with him too. She had not visited him in quite a while (maybe a year) and couldn’t make it back for Christmas. She sent him a long letter and Christmas card, but messed up the address. He passed away suddenly, and the card ended up being returned to our home. I saw the returned letter in the mail and realized what happened. I threw it away and told her that she could have some solace in that he knew she was thinking about him before he passed. I will never tell her the truth.
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#2
I just want my wife back. I want my wife who asked how my day was. I want my wife who reached for my hand on long car rides. I want my wife who would search slowly for my body in the dark. Depression is a thief. (Yes, she has seen help, medicated, it’s been 10 years) I know she loves me. But I wish I could tell her that her depression has robbed us both. That I know it’s not her fault. That I wish that even through the depression, she would see that I’m still here. I still care, and I yearn for the woman I fell in love with. I yearn for her to care for me the way I care for her.
#3
That I actually do know how to change my own oil. He just gets so excited to do it for me so I pretend. Best part is, I hate changing my oil. Win win!
#4
I have never been more lonely in my life with him.
#5
My older sister has been insane for about two years now and we have been virtually no contact for the entire time.
My husband thinks it’s no big deal to me because of how “dumb” the situation is, but it really eats me up inside every single day. I can’t talk to him about how much it hurts me because he just laughs it off. I talk to my therapist just so I can release some of the tears and hurt I’m feeling because I just want my sister back.
#6
I'm diagnosed with O.C.D. and one of the lesser known symptoms is dark/violent intrusive thoughts. I've mentioned I have them to my husband and only him but I've never told anyone exactly how awful they are.
You might think of the normal "call of the abyss" thoughts like jumping into traffic but it's turned up to 15/10.
#7
I love my wife about 5% less than before her affair. We've done a bunch of therapy, together and individually, and have reconciled and are doing well, but it's been years and at this point I don't think that 5% is ever coming back. I kinda miss it.
#8
I didn't like his enchilada style burritos. They were mushy.
And while that is true, the more serious answer is that I was sexually abused by my father. It took me 20 years to find the courage to tell him.
#10
I was sexually assaulted at a nightclub 12 years ago. When it first happened I was only 18 and thought that I was somehow to blame so I didn't tell my then boyfriend (now husband) at the time. I carried so much shame about it for years. I now realise that it was not my fault and that I could tell him. But it seems a weird thing to bring up after so long. I nearly did tell him earlier this year when I had a nightmare about it though but again, just couldn't do it.
#11
I didn't use Vantablack to paint their darkroom because it was far too expensive. I only used regular Dulux black paint, however, they and everyone they show believe it is Vantablack and therefore think it is amazing.
I suppose this secret is not as dark as it should be.
#12
I'm female and asked my male coworker for a hug. He's twice my age, so to me it was a dad-hug (my own dad's dead), but my husband would consider it cheating.
I had asked my husband for a hug the same day and he had refused because he wanted me to pull myself together first.
My coworker saw I was a mess and agreed to hug without hesitation.
#13
I work in a hospital so I have lots of weekdays off. I got bored one day and went to the casino since I haven't been in years. About twenty minutes in I won ~$5,000 on the slots. Immediately cashed out and I chose to pay the taxes there on the spot. Took the rest home. A few weeks later my wife had a conference in Vegas and I tagged along so we could make a long weekend of it. The day of her conference I bought a drink and wandered around the strip doing nothing. When she got out of the conference that afternoon I told her I "won $5,000 on the slots." Of course she was ecstatic because work had already paid for a room at the Cosmo and she had like $100/day in per diem so all that cash was spent on eating at Michelin starred restaurants and going to shows for free. I've never told her I won it at the dumpy casino twenty minutes from our house.
#14
I think the only secret I’ve kept is that she is honestly a terrible gift buyer. She is easily the sweetest most caring person I’ve ever met, who would do anything for anyone. And when she buys gifts in her heart of hearts she really thinks she did so good, and is so proud of herself. I will die with that secret because that beautiful soul does not need to be tarnished with that, but I am a grown man who loves the office, nothing about me screams I would like a music box that plays the office theme lol.
#15
I hid cash to pay for a lawyer. I was up to about $12,000. My husband was always drunk, and it was destroying our family. He retired from the toxic corporate job and stopped self medicating with alcohol, so with therapy and time, we are in a good place now. He was pretty gobsmacked when I told him about it. We used some of the cash to pay for house maintenance, but there's still about $10k locked up in the house for an emergency fund.
#16
That I had initiated an escape plan to break up with my ex gf of a year. I found out she was stalking a former ex she had psychologically and physically abused and went around painting him as the abuser when really it was her.
After the PTSD settled in, a therapist confirmed I dated a vulnerable narcissist with sociopathic tendencies.
After I blocked her everywhere for my own safety she would go on to harass and stalk my friends and family to get information on my whereabouts.
It still affects me a whole year later. I've never met such an evil person in my entire life, but she will still cry the victim.
#17
My husband kept a 10 year affair secret from me. My only secret is that I have a Reddit account.
#18
My (28m) stay at home wife(28f) thinks I make 80k a year....
I made 170k this year, just at work. I have $2000 from every paycheck, so 4k a month, going to a hidden high yields saving account at 4.5% apy. So she thinks I make about $2700 a pay check.
I also have an additional 4900 in military disability that is untaxed that goes to the same account. So 8900 untouched every month for the past 5 years... I have over 500k in this secret account.
We still rent a 2 bedroom apartment... and have a 4 year plan to buy a house. Our budget is 400k in those 4 years... what she doesn't know is a bought 30 acres 3 years ago in cash. And in 5 years I'm going to have her build her dream house with custom plans to build on the land with a budget of 1.5 million budget and pay cash for it.
#19
My ex doesn't know that i missed my big career opportunity with better pay,location, and most importantly better mental health. I did that because i wanted to give her attention and support all the time. She was not doing good at that time. Well, she ended up cheating on me.
#20
She doesn't know that I know she's been secretly keeping tabs on my Reddit account.
I know you're reading this.
#21
I was cleaning out our office and found a random, unmarked notebook. Turns out my now husband was once lamenting the fact that an attractive, female coworker would never be into him. This was several months after we started dating, had said "I love you", and spent every weekend together. It was a punch to the gut. Said he loved me but was pining after a coworker. And apparently I'm ugly enough to be with him.
#22
I never told them how much I missed a big opportunity in my career because I didn’t want them to feel guilty about needing my support.
#23
I would never share my own on here, for fear it would come out. But I did have a good friend in High School, late 80s, who’s dad had a whole nother family 2 miles away, and kept it all a secret til he was 80 something. The kids were all similar ages, how you never ran in to each other at a supermarket, baseball game, travel sporting high school event, beyond me, but he did it.
#24
My partner likes to say I was raised by wolves, but he really has no idea. He knows about the emotional abuse but I've never told him the rest. Childhood SA, physical abuse, food restriction (in a household where there was plenty), working from age 14 to afford new clothes and glasses, triangulation, the list just goes on and on. I don't want him feeling sorry for me because I'm not a victim - I survived and worked through it all in therapy. I worry he'll never see me the same way if he knows all of it, so I keep it to myself. The ironic part is I know it wouldn't change anything for him, it's me that has a problem with it, but it's my choice.
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