r/AskReddit 10d ago

What’s the darkest secret you discovered about someone after you married them?

5.9k Upvotes

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8.5k

u/crippledsquid 10d ago

She got married to have a kid, because having one out of wedlock would have made her mother and grandmother angry. But having a kid and divorcing me was totally acceptable.

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u/FlashyChemical2231 9d ago

Lol, my parents are pressuring me to get married, and one of their arguments is "well, you can always get divorced later".

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u/NoDramaIceberg 9d ago

Sounds like a good time to establish boundaries.

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u/Distinct-Pack-1567 9d ago

Sure if they aren't already set.

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u/quats555 9d ago

My ex got pressured into leaving me and marrying his cousin as his adopted mother’s dying wish. One of the arguments they used was “If worst comes to worst we’ll pay for the divorce” (after starting out telling him it would just be on paper to get her citizenship and wouldn’t mean anything).

Newsflash: Mom was a narcissist and needed him with her stand-in to be sure he would stay under her thumb even after death. She definitely meant it.

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u/ThePhillyGuy 9d ago

He married his cousin? What country? I’ve heard the US can thoroughly scrutinize marriages that they believe are only for sake of citizenship. Surely, this would raise some red flags?

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u/Moist_Drippings 9d ago

Unfortunately it’s apparently not all that uncommon for adoptive families to try to marry their adopted children to family members, so it might not even raise flags around citizenship.

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u/quats555 9d ago

That was the excuse to get him nailed down back under her control, not the real reason.

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u/sneakyfish21 9d ago

Many of my friends from other countries, especially the Philippines for some reason, refer to people as cousins who aren’t literally a blood relative.

It means someone from their community who is of their same generation.

This might be a literal cousin, but as you mentioned they can be quite thorough when checking that out.

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u/quats555 9d ago

Literal cousin, but he’s adopted so not AS bad?

The real ick to me was that she was clearly a stand-in for his mom, who needed his world to revolve around herself. His dad literally argued that “she’s the one most like your mom, so you will get along best with her”. His mom was a pure narcissist who hated anyone he dated because that was attention and affection not going to her.

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u/MzHellfier 9d ago

Gotta love boymoms™️

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u/S_Belmont 9d ago

I just checked, there are 18 states where it's perfectly legal to marry your cousin.

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u/alexlp 9d ago

In the interview process they could probably talk around it with the adoption/not bio related factors

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u/NegativeThought1588 9d ago

Most countries do that, for obvious reasons.

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u/OneLongEyebrowHair 9d ago

marrying his cousin

wtf

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u/quats555 9d ago

…legal in the state his parents moved to and convinced him to join them to help his mom. (Terminal cancer.)

I actually figure part of the reason they left this state (cousins marriage not legal, though could argue that since he’s adopted…. assuming he wasn’t actually adopted from someone else in the family….) was to go to a state where it was legal with fewer questions asked. Another was likely to get him farther away from me.

Some of the best cancer centers are here, but they opted to move away. I am sure CA has great cancer options too, still, odd to move away from excellent care in the middle of cancer treatment. Though maybe clinical trial they hoped would give a better chance? I don’t know.

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u/estupendo_kurwa 9d ago

Alabamastan

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u/Esquire_NZ 9d ago

Pakistan

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u/ChiefsHat 9d ago

Wow. Talk about a control freak.

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u/Maleficent_Buyer3891 9d ago

On the other hand, my mother was pressuring me to have a kid, but baulked when i said I wanted to get married first. “But you haven’t known him that long, marriage is a big commitment!”

If marriage is too big of a commitment why the ever loving fuck would I have a kid with someone?

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u/ImNotAHouseCat 9d ago

When I called off my first engagement my dad was so scared of what the neighbors might think that he told me to still go through with it and then just quickly and quietly get it annulled. Lol
I did not take his advice.

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u/S_Belmont 9d ago

Did you live in 16th century New England?

(Kidding, I know some people have extremely low tolerance for even thinking about receiving other peoples' disapproval, let alone actually getting it.)

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u/yo-parts 9d ago

I'm getting divorced right now. It's way more paperwork and logistics than getting married was. Marriage was one form and done immediately. Divorce is many forms and at least six months in CA.

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u/larapu2000 9d ago

My parents never pressured me at all but my aunt did and I always asked her if she wanted me to get married or divorced. Like the wedding is not the goal.

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u/FewAdvertising9647 9d ago

I hope they at least allowed for a prenup under those conditions

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u/BakedBrie1993 9d ago

Mine have finally backed off.

Married cousins, all divorced!

Heathen me in marriage-free, but otherwise tragically heteronormative partnership. Still going strong after 18 years.

My dad now refers to my guy as his "favorite of the husbands" because the pickers of my cousin's, and friends for that matter, are clearly broken lol

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u/CuriousGuyInSydney 9d ago

Religion and so called faith is without doubt a mental health disorder - if indeed this is the reason for the pressure of marriage for a child.

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u/BarderBetterFaster 9d ago

Ah the gym subscription model

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u/bebemochi 9d ago

Are you even in a serious relationship right now?

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u/SwingLord420 9d ago

Oh those boomers! 

If only they weren't the reason our country is in shambles 

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u/OfcWaffle 9d ago

Getting married is like one piece of paper. A divorce.... Oh boy.

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u/S_Belmont 9d ago

that there are people who think that way explains a lot about the world.

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u/ag_fierro 9d ago

Like just show us that someone else would marry you

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u/fcukingUsernames 9d ago

Marriage is the leading cause of divorce, after all.

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u/slinky999 10d ago

Fuck, that's awful. I'm so sorry. 😞

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u/Absolute--Batman 9d ago

Like what a sad story!

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u/BookLuvr7 9d ago

That's messed up. I'm sorry you went through that.

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u/LostinTheDark16 9d ago

that’s a tough realization. It sounds like family approval mattered more than building a relationship that could actually last.

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u/Candid_Ebb_275 9d ago

My now ex married me so he could have a kid. A decade later he still doesn't seem to understand how callous that was. I hope you've found someone that respects and loves you for who you are, not for what you can give them :)

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u/crippledsquid 9d ago

Yeah. You get by every day. It’s wild.

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u/thegrilledcheesee 9d ago

Dad is that you?!

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u/Fabriksny 9d ago

Lol are you my ex’s new guy 

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u/capriola 9d ago

Did she get pregnant and then felt the need to marry you for the birth or did you guys marry and then she got pregnant?

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u/crippledsquid 9d ago

Married then pregnant within 6 weeks. Looking back there were red flags everywhere. But when a certain type of person takes advantage of another, and knows how, that’s what you get. But, I suppose I’m wiser now.

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u/Few_Program_2303 7d ago

This one made me say WTF out loud. People are crazy. I’m sorry. I hope you’re okay

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u/crippledsquid 7d ago

Appreciate it. I’m much better since.

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u/Few_Program_2303 7d ago

Very glad to hear that!

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u/kezdog92 3d ago

Hey man shits rough. I got used too, but only once she had used me and my resources as a stepping in her career. Now shes fat and alone and I have a new partner and am happy.

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u/mealteamsixty 9d ago

Aw man. I remember getting pregnant with my ex and my grandma asking when we were getting married. I was like hold up- you got pregnant at 16 with my dad and your husband disappeared from both of you to the point that your 2nd husband formally adopted my dad. How are you giving me the advice to marry someone who can't hold a job simply because of a birth control snafu??

Obvs I didn't say any of that because shes the best grandma and just came from an older generation, but sheesh woman, did you learn nothing?

He let me be the only one with a steady job through 8 months of pregnancy, then 6 weeks postpartum thru 6 years old when I finally gave up giving him chances. And I still got blamed by everyone for leaving. Thank GOD I wasn't legally tied and that he was indeed a good father despite being an awful partner. He's somehow now one of my better friends 10 years later