When we watch a romantic movie, we’re treated to perfect happy endings: love conquers all, music swells, and everyone rides off into the sunset. But in real life? Things aren’t always so picture-perfect. Sometimes, relationships crash and burn in the most chaotic, unbelievable ways that leave you wondering what just happened?
Speaking of dramatic endings, the Bored Panda team has rounded up some of the most shocking breakup stories shared online — from wild betrayals and unexpected ghosting to partners who moved on in the strangest possible ways. These confessions prove that when it comes to love, reality can be messier, funnier, and far more unpredictable than any rom-com ever could be.
#1
My ex dumped me because she had dreams of me cheating on her, but in reality, I wasn’t cheating at all. She would spend the day being a total jerk for something I never did. She would give me the cold shoulder, and she won’t let me hug or kiss her. Eventually, she dumped me and claimed the dreams were recurring, so it had to mean I was cheating on her. I’m happy that’s over. She was getting pretty crazy.
Image source: anon, Ivan Oboleninov
#2
Found paternity papers in my wife’s car. The kid wasn’t mine.
We were engaged before we found out she was pregnant. We got married when she was about 4 months pregnant, so everything went pretty fast. Things started getting pretty shaky about a year into the marriage. I could tell I was basically being used as a (sugar daddy/baby daddy), but I didn’t care. I loved my boy, and I loved her. Another year went by, and things got even less stable between us. She moved out for several months and cheated on me. I had my son every other week and paid for 100% of daycare whether I had him or not. We reconciled, and she moved back in (I think she was just broke and couldn’t afford her apartment anymore).
A few months after that, she asked me to get a hairbrush out of her car one morning, and there were paternity papers on the passenger seat. Brought the papers to her attention, and she flipped out and got mad at me for snooping around in her car. She won’t even talk to me; she just starts packing up her stuff and leaves. A few weeks later, the results from the paternity test come back in, and the boy isn’t mine. We are divorced now. Things are getting better for me. I am still depressed, and I miss my boy very much, but life goes on.
Image source: handsomegeek, Josh Willink
#3
I have 2 bad ones. First one, he had his mom call me. Second one, we dated for 3 years, and the whole time, he told me he didn’t want kids. I finally got on board with the idea of never being a mother. Less than 2 months later, he called me to break up because he was marrying a woman he had knocked up with whom he had been cheating on me. Skip ahead 30 years… He’s a father of 4 and divorced, and 3 of the 4 kids have gone no contact with him.
Image source: readingreddit4fun, Katya Gutsulyak
#4
I woke up one morning and said I had plans with a friend, and my partner said he did too and would meet me back home for a movie date later… Had a goodbye kiss and everything.
Came home to all his things moved out and no response to texts. I was pregnant at the time. A little later on, I found out he had been married the whole time. I had to move states pregnant and start over in a basement with no windows. All the while, he was sending me nasty messages and then blocking me before I could respond. It was, hands down, the most depressing period of my life.
Image source: TopScientist9241, cottonbro studio
#5
We were hanging out at his place, where he lives with one other roommate (male). That roommate and their mutual friend came over and sat in the living room with us to watch TV.
My now ex bf says to me “Go get me a drink from the fridge.” and I look at him like he’s crazy, he says again “Go get me a drink from the fridge! Don’t sit there looking dumb”, to which I said, “Don’t disrespect me” and he says, “Or what you ain’t gonna do nothing”.
We had been dating for 3 months, and he never talked to me like that, but his friends were never around when we were together. I figured out quickly that he was the kind of guy who had to put on a show in front of his friends, and I wanted no part in that, so instead of getting his drink, I got up and left and never spoke to or acknowledged him again. I practically ghosted. Ignored his calls, actually blocked his number. He’s come to my place, knocking on my door. He’s asked my friends to make me talk to him, and why I won’t talk to him. At 26, I just don’t have the patience for disrespect from anyone.
Image source: velvetflavored, Pavel Danilyuk
#6
I found out the guy was no longer working when I called to see why his paychecks hadn’t come in. (I handled the finances for us, and he kept saying his boss would be sending them.) It turned out he quit, and instead of telling me, he spent the next few weeks pretending to work. Instead, he started going to a “gentleman’s club” on what little money he had hoarded.
When I went to break it off with him, he punched his hand through the wall and lost his mind. By the time he finally calmed down, he had turned strangely morose. He looked at me and asked if we could sleep one last time
My response: “No.”
He, after a long pause, sifted through his pockets and held out a dollar bill. “I’ll pay you a dollar to sleep with me. It’s all I have left.” Needless to say, he left with a dollar in his pocket and no final goodbye.
Image source: ValNTine, Nicola Barts
#7
My college roommate spent an entire weekend with his girlfriend from another state, knowing he was going to break up with her. When he took her to drop off at the train station on Sunday, he waited until she was leaning in with the car door open to kiss him goodbye. Broke the news instead of kissing her, didn’t even unbuckle and get out. She stood there, stunned with bags on the curb, and he closed the door and drove off.
Image source: Corporate-Asset-6375, cottonbro studio
#8
On my 40th birthday, at dinner. My then-girlfriend took me out to dinner on my birthday. I was confused as to why there were no family and friends present. Then she broke it off, and I understood why. Best present ever.
Image source: deedubfry, Polina Tankilevitch
#9
He cheated. And got another woman pregnant. Then called me a few weeks later, asking me to be the child’s godmother, because he “knows I’m really good with kids.”
Image source: kmmy89399, Jonathan Borba
#10
Well, a dude once broke up with me because I moved apartments, and it added 5 minutes to his trip of 15 minutes.
Image source: Anonbsnono, Blue Bird
#11
After 2 years of constantly forgiving him for cheating on me, it wasn’t until I needed to be hospitalized that I realized he didn’t love me. When I needed him the most, he told me, “I’m sorry, I can’t take you being in there. It makes me too sad. Call me when you get out.” So when I did, I told him I just wanted to be friends, but I had nothing against him.
Literally a day after I called him and told him that, he made FB official post, dating some other girl. I’m married now and really happy in my relationship.
Image source: wanderingcat72, adrian vieriu
#12
It was my last Thanksgiving with [my mom]. Without discussing it with me first, he had his mom buy him plane tickets to spend Thanksgiving with his parents, and asked if I wanted to go with him. No. I am not missing the last Thanksgiving I can ever spend with my mom. We will have our whole lives to spend Thanksgiving with your family after this. You’re leaving me to face this one alone, or to abandon my mother on her last Thanksgiving?
It was suddenly very clear (being happy to cancel wedding plans to do it later, and many other things) that he didn’t want to be in a relationship with me, but wouldn’t break up with me, because my mom was [passing], and he was too nice a guy to dump his fiancée whose mom was [passing].
To his credit, we remained close friends, and he continued to be there as my best friend and emotional support through her death, and some months following. Although it was 8 years ago, we still chat/text a few times a year and catch up on how our families are doing.
Image source: WooRankDown, cottonbro studio
#13
We had been dating for two years, but had dated in high school 10 years before that. She had been married for a short time, but that all broke up right before we started dating.
Anyway, she wouldn’t invite me around to her parents’ place ever, because they were very religious and didn’t believe in divorce. After getting engaged, though, I felt like I ought to “ovary up” and clear the water with them… I had known them in high school (though they had never liked me), and I remembered her dad’s mobile number.
So I called him. Long story short, she was still married to her husband. She had lied about getting divorced, and I was her side chick, though she spent so much time with me, I don’t believe they could have had a very happy marriage. I made her give me the ring back.
Image source: Quantum_girl_go, cottonbro studio
#14
I found out my ex and I weren’t together after he posted an Instagram picture with his best friend of 3 years, saying, “It only took me 3 years to ask her out”.
Image source: jaclyngupta, Budgeron Bach
#15
He told me I was fat. I was the same weight as when we started dating. A year later, he wanted me back. I made sure I looked really good. We went out to dinner. When we got home, he told me how good-looking I was. He leaned in to kiss me. I backed up and said, “I’m too fat, remember? Good night!” I was the same weight when he dated me.
Image source: Karenswalk, Ketut Subiyanto
#16
My dad had passed away, and I really needed support, so she came over after I had found out he had died, and I bawled my eyes out for 45 minutes. Then, when I was done for a few minutes, she said, “You cried for 45 minutes”. What’s that supposed to mean? I knew that day that things were not gonna last between us. She became more distant after that, as if my struggling was just suddenly like “Nope, not fun for me anymore, so I’m not gonna try” for her. I’m currently in a relationship with the best girl I could have ever asked for, and I want to marry her and might propose to her in a year or two.
Image source: Classic-Law9991, RDNE Stock project
#17
Not me, but I knew a guy in college who was studying abroad in China. His girlfriend made the 20-hour flight to come see him, and he broke up with her as soon as she got there. his reasoning was that he “didn’t want to do it over text.” Needless to say, she was not up for hanging out in China with him and demanded he pay for her flight back.
Image source: MobileMessage, Gustavo Fring
#18
He yelled at me for not doing his laundry, then threw my full laundry basket at me. I quickly walked out of the room to get away from the violence, and he followed me. He told me his brother had a similar situation with his wife, and his mom actually came to his brother’s defense and told SIL it’s not something to get divorced over. I realized just how toxic and irrational that entire family is, and I was done immediately. I really hope SIL and her children are ok.
Image source: childfree_IPA, Tima Miroshnichenko
#19
I was a single mum of a 4-year-old and had been in a relationship with this guy for 2 years. We were having a conversation about our relationship progressing, and I was saying I’d like us to consider moving in together. He was very resistant and said he needed to be sure. When I asked, “Sure of what?” he said, “whether you want me for me or for what I have”. He had his own business, and whilst he wasn’t wealthy, he was comfortably well off.
This completely ended my feelings, and I ended it there and then. Ironically, he bought a brand new car to try and win me back, saying it was to be our “family car”. Proof he really did think I was money motivated.
Image source: JustaGirl1978, Karola G
#20
He grabbed our puppy and ran over to the road and threatened to throw him in the street unless I took him back. I told him I would, then managed to sneak out of the house while he was at work, a week later, and moved across the state to family the next day. It was a very violent, drama-filled relationship.
Image source: sunnysideup2323, Diana
#21
She wanted to go to Florida for the Disney College Program. (She is a huge Disney nerd.) She was too scared she would lose me. I convinced her to do it because if she didn’t, she would regret it forever, and that no matter what happened, I would still be here for her.
6 months and an engagement ring later, she told me that while in Florida, she realized she didn’t love me like she thought she had. The ring is in a box in the back of a drawer in my dresser. Her worst fear came true. So did mine.
Image source: devildrugsguy420, Younho Choo
#22
The wife was sensitive to fluorescent light bulbs, but the husband kept insisting on having them to save the environment. He would change out the incandescent bulbs when she was asleep multiple times. She got sick of it and filed for divorce.
Image source: Commercial-Box-7437, Burak The Weekender
#23
She had an unhealthy relationship with her mother. Toward the end, she took her mother with her to a music festival that I wanted to go to, and took her mother on our planned vacation to Halloween Horror Nights because her mother would cry and say they never spent time together, even though they saw each other almost daily. We had one car, and I had just worked a super long day and was tired and just wanted to go home, so I was waiting for my ex to come pick me up in our shared vehicle. Instead, she pulls up with her mother in her car. I have to sit in the back alone, of course, and be excluded from conversation, and I’m told we are going to her mother’s house to spend the night. I have no clothes to change into, and I just want to go home and relax, but I’m told that I’m being unreasonable and we are going to go watch horror movies(I don’t like horror movies) and eat food from a restaurant that I hate. They refused to drop me off at home, so I got out at a light, walked home, and moved out. It was a long time coming, but that was the final straw after almost 5 years of dealing with this insufferable, toxic family.
Image source: reddit.com, Andrea Piacquadio
#24
Suddenly, he wasn’t leaving his family’s house, and no one was allowed to talk to him via phone, so I showed up at their house asking to see him. Instead, his grandma sat me down at the kitchen table and broke up with me for him. He then proceeded to stop talking to all of us because his family decided we were bad for him.
A couple of months later, his new “friends” let him leave a party drunk, and he [fatally crashed] while driving impaired.
Image source: lilchileah77, cottonbro studio
#25
I was dating a coworker, and one morning she walked in, kissed me on the cheek, and said, “I have herpes, and you didn’t give it to me.” Then just walks off like it’s a normal day at work.
Image source: GoliathBoneSnake, Gustavo Fring
#26
Broke up with me over text to get back with his ex, who cheated on him with his best friend and gave them both chlamydia.
Image source: deviantbb , RDNE Stock project
#27
I just broke up with my bf last week. I sat him down and told him I did not want to continue the relationship, and I wished him the best.
His response: “But breaking up is a mutual decision, so you can’t leave.” He has since been harassing me and my family online and at work. The authorities say that until he “exhibits real threatening behavior instead of being annoying,” I can’t really do anything. I have him blocked on all accounts, and he just found another way to contact me last night. I live alone, so I’m locking my doors and praying he doesn’t decide to show up.
Image source: angelairwaves, Gustavo Fring
#28
I asked him what I meant to him, and he answered, “Nothing.”
#29
We had been dating for three years, constantly talked about getting married, and what our life would be like. He went back into the military and wouldn’t commit to having a long-distance relationship with me. Because it would be “way too distracting when he’s in the field and I pop up on his mind,” and he didn’t want to commit to a relationship while in the army. So we broke it off.
The real kicker is that a couple of months after being away in another state, he started dating a new girl who apparently lives in the same state as me. So…
Image source: collapse-collide, RDNE Stock project
#30
Reminds me of my ex, who told me he couldn’t see himself marrying someone whose parents weren’t still together. My dad was [gone].
Image source: cakerton, Alena Darmel
#31
There’s a hole in the wall, all of my clothes were everywhere, and personal mementos that I’ve had since I was a kid were broken. Also, I have no bed and no food because they belonged to her and she’s taking those things with her. Though seeing how she reacted to the breakup this time (I’ve tried at least 3 or 4 other times), I’m beginning to think I’m better off.
So I’ve spent the last 3 hours dealing with the cops and sobering up from St. Paddy’s day shenanigans while cleaning up my apartment and figuring out how to get my things back in order.
I should also mention that when I was on the phone with 911, and when the police arrived, she told them that I hit her, which I did not. Not cool…
She’s getting the rest of her stuff this afternoon. Hopefully, this will be it, and I can get on with the rest of my life after today. In the meantime, I need to go buy toilet paper because she took that too…
Image source: RoverStoffe, Alena Darmel
#32
I broke up with an ex who was an extremely “sensitive” and emotional guy. We were sitting on the bed when I told him it was over. He didn’t reply.
Promptly stood up, grabbed his guitar, and started playing “Love Hurts” by Roy Orbison while facing away from me. I tried to say something else, and he just started singing louder, shuddering shoulders and choking on tears. I awkwardly crept out of the room to leave him alone with his feelings.
Image source: reddit.com, cottonbro studio
#33
He sent me a list of reasons why he couldn’t be with me as a Word document over Facebook Messenger. All the reasons were about him.
Image source: CetearylOlivate, Tim Gouw
#34
Every time we fought, she would throw her engagement ring somewhere, make me get it, then make me plead with her to put it back on. Even for very small disagreements and even in public. That was the final straw. It was a very bad feeling begging somebody to be with me all the time. It gave me huge insecurity issues.
That was on top of the fact that she began to call me names and hit me a lot. It all started after we got engaged for some reason. Things were so perfect, but as soon as she got that ring, everything changed. Suddenly, she said what I mentioned, along with calling me a loser and ugly a lot.
Image source: Anti_Social_, Anna Pou
#35
We had too much in common. I liked women, and she liked women.
Image source: 8675201, cottonbro studio
#36
She was in love with my best friend. And they were both in denial about it. They were engaged a month after we broke up.
They both told me nothing physical happened, and I believe them, but they hung out a lot (which was pretty normal because we were all friends in high school). I’m pretty sure they were already emotionally involved because she started to drift away (emotionally). They were both nice about it and asked if I’d be okay. I said yes because they seemed like they would be happy together, and I cared about them both. However, I don’t hang out with them all that much, as nice as I try to be about it, because I still feel betrayed. I still talk to my best friend every once in a while, but it doesn’t ever really get any deeper than the “what are you up to these days?” texts.
Image source: Cptcrispo, Israyosoy S.
#37
We moved in together too young and tried to be adults too fast. I should’ve known things were not going to work out when he tried to convince me to buy a house with him at 19. NINETEEN. (In Southern California. On two retail employees. Like, WHAT?!?).
We were high school sweethearts. He was smart and ambitious. But he also loved to spend money, and worked insane hours to try to make up the deficit. After we moved in together, his work schedule changed, so I was working morning shifts and would literally pass him in the driveway as he left for his night shifts. There would be several days in a row where we wouldn’t see each other, and when we did see each other we were too broke to do anything fun.
We went on a trip with his family after a big fight, where I begged him not to ask me to marry him. I told him I wasn’t sure how I felt anymore; I was unhappy, and he seemed unhappy. I wasn’t stupid. I knew why he suddenly wanted to know my ring size. I hadn’t been happy for months and had become a workaholic to try to keep up with the expenses. I wanted to see if the vacation would bring a spark back into our relationship, then maybe we could work ourselves back into normalcy.
He didn’t listen and asked me to marry him in front of his entire family and surrounded by strangers, hundreds of miles away from home. I was 21 and had no idea how to say no. Our engagement lasted 9 days, because that’s all I could stomach while thinking about spending my life with someone I wasn’t in love with.
Image source: yesitisnicole, Hasan Gulec
#38
After 4 years of relationship, her parents couldn’t come to terms with my religion and caste, they completely opposed our marriage, the girl couldn’t sacrifice her parents’ relationship, and so she sacrificed me for them. Welcome to 21st-century India.
Image source: marzneo, Avro Dutta
#39
She got chronic dry eye, which made it uncomfortable for her to wear contacts. Her husband couldn’t handle that her eyes were different colors due to heterochromia.
Image source: rowenaravenclaw0, laney-rene
#40
My boyfriend broke up with me by texting me, asking how my day was. I said, “Fine, how was yours?” He responded with “Great, had a fantastic day with my girlfriend.” I was at work all day. We had been together for 4 years and had been living together for 2. He had been cheating on me and decided to leave me for his mistress. Good times.
Image source: xXRavelightXx, Liza Summer
#41
Girlfriend of 5 years wanted to move into a new house on the nicer side of town. We looked and looked and found a place nearly twice as expensive but in our price range. The day we got the keys, I went to work for the day, got off work, and all her stuff was gone. She said things weren’t working out and moved back home with her parents (we were only 23/23). Also, she never sent me a penny for rent that year after the breakup. Fun year that was.
Image source: llafudidyhhw, cottonbro studio
#42
I was dating this girl for several years, off and on, but at the time we were on, she suddenly ghosted me. Ghosted everybody we were mutual friends with. A couple of weeks later, it came out that she had gotten married. When I asked her if it was true, she sent me her wedding photos in response. I will never know where this guy came from, but it’s been seven years now, and they have two kids together. Kind of ugly kids, but kids all the same.
Image source: psinguine, Hạnh Minh
#43
I got a new haircut (I used to always have my hair long and cut it quite short this time), and this girl I was seeing told me she didn’t like it and that she didn’t find me attractive anymore. In my desperate teenage self, I tried to tell her it was just a haircut and that it would grow back in no time. But she was having none of it; she dumped me right there.
Image source: howdybertus, Dmitry Zvolskiy
#44
My ex: “I leave during fights because I like watching you beg for me to come home.” He had done it a hundred times at that point, and I would cry and beg for him to come home. He basically liked the attention; it made him feel powerful, and it made me weak. The next time he pulled it, I told him to never come back.
Image source: thriftybabygurl, Vickie Intili
#45
I was engaged to a guy I’d dated for 3 years and was planning a destination wedding. He cheated with a mutual friend one night. His mom (who he lived with while we were apartment hunting) accidentally walked in on them in the middle of it while letting the dogs out. He didn’t know his mom had seen, but his mom called me and told me what happened. He denied it when I confronted him, which made it worse. Called off the wedding and broke up.
Weirdly enough, he got married about 5 years later to someone else in the exact same destination wedding location/venue/package/colors I had always dreamed of and planned out for us. He must have kept my planning binder and just reused it or something.
Image source: St3phiroth, Ron Lach
#46
He was obsessed with making me look/speak better. He would control my food intake and make me exercise every day. Whenever I was out with him, I had to wear heels, dress well, and he would point out what other girls were wearing and that I should try on. Putting on makeup is a must, even when I’m on a plane. I wasn’t allowed to speak other language aside from English, and was not allowed to watch dramas that are trash to him.
My last straw was him asking me to consider getting a boobs job when I lost so much weight from all the exercise/controlled diet. I realized I cannot live this way anymore, and he will never be satisfied ever. Even though I still love him but I was mentally drained and constantly felt that I was ugly and unworthy.
Image source: Cutestuff_, Karola G
#47
She started making out with another dude while we were at a party, all sitting on the same couch. That deflates the romance pretty quickly.
Image source: reddit.com, La Afterman
#48
Broke up with a work colleague. It was amicable, albeit my decision, and we agreed (on Sunday night) that we’d be cool with each other at work and not let it change the environment. On Monday, she went in earlier than I and told everyone she dumped me because I was all sorts of awful. It was less than ideal.
Image source: AdChemical6828, cottonbro studio
#49
I broke up with my ex-wife because she cheated on me with some random guy she met at a sci-fi convention. She took off with him. She shaved half her head and dyed the other half purple. She started wearing a dog collar and joined the carnival with him. Thankfully, she and I did not have any children. I am not kidding. This really happened. Fast-forward 7 years. I am happily remarried to a wonderful woman. We have four children (two from her previous marriage), and we have never been happier.
Image source: ryanstar78, Tima Miroshnichenko
#50
She lied about stopping by my house and taking care of my cat while I was out of the country. Once I called her out, she did stop by, but that didn’t change my mind about breaking up with her after I got back.
Image source: JustAGuyInTampa, Tranmautritam
#51
She got into a car with 2 men she met at a bar on a whim and drove 300 miles with them to a party city. Later, she bragged to me about how adventurous she was. I’m glad she was ok, but I knew at that moment that she wasn’t right for me.
Image source: reddit.com, Maurício Mascaro
#52
I’m divorced because my husband had an affair for 3 years. After our child [passed away]. Such a great guy.
Image source: Kowai03, Stephen Harlan
#53
I moved across the world for him. He kept telling me, “One day I want to propose.” Or “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.” That proposal never came, and I was having visa issues, so after a few years, I gave up and moved back.
Image source: DoYouMindIfWe, Nataliya Vaitkevich
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