Wife searched for 'combat' husband’s military paperwork to claim his benefits. What she found revealed why he had avoided them for 18 years
'The story changed over the years to that he signed them away when he joined a different super-secretive elite group,' the woman admitted
Keeping secrets from a spouse is supposed to be difficult. But a woman who goes by u/Zookeepergametime936 found out her husband had been doing it for more than 18 years. When they first met, her husband told her he was part of a super-elite military group and was wounded in combat. Years later, they were going through a tough time financially, and she asked him to claim his benefits, but he kept dismissing her request. Wanting to be a good wife, she tried to sort out his paperwork and get the information herself, but she ended up opening a Pandora's box. The post was shared on August 5, 2026 and it received 1,900 upvotes and 226 comments.
Paperwork proof
Once the business failed and money became tight, the author pushed her husband to claim the benefits he said he was entitled to. "The story changed over the years to that he signed them away when he joined a different super secretive elite group. I kept bringing it up and he would change the subject," she said. Since he struggled with paperwork, she decided to handle it herself. That was when she discovered information that did not match the story he had told her for years.
'He lied about how much money he had received'
The paperwork revealed that her husband never passed basic training. She thought it was a mistake and reverse-searched the images he showed her and found they were all pulled from the internet. He claimed he was born in a different country and spoke with an accent when drunk, but his family confirmed it was false. "I finally started looking at the bank statements. He lied about how much money he had received; he lied about loans he took out, and I know he’s still lying about what he did with all the money," she recalled. He also lied about quitting smoking and started smoking pot.
He never rode in the same car with his family and would always "catch up" in a different vehicle. When she finally confronted him, he was surprisingly honest for the first time. He admitted to having cheated on her because of his "insecurities." He broke a 14-year-old marriage because of his never-ending lies. "I feel a great mixture of anger, grief, sadness, betrayal, and fear. And I feel this most of all for our children," she said.
Small lies, big lies
People lie, but to be lied to by your spouse is a slap to the face. Ipsos Public Affairs surveyed in 2006 and found that 64% of respondents believed lying in some cases was okay. However, when it comes to lying to a spouse, 36% of men and 29% of women said lying about forgetting an anniversary was no big deal. But when it came to serious things, 81% of men and 92% of women said that lying was not acceptable. The husband's lies were not white. He fabricated stories about his work, his identity (country), smoking, and even had an affair.
'This a deeply sadistic long con'
Netizens were appalled at the extent of the man's lies. They wished the author the best with her decision to separate from her husband. u/MuggleWitch wrote, "Damn. This a deeply sadistic long con. Like, what? 18 years. This lie for 18 weeks would be too much to absorb. Just leave. Nothing about him is real. This isn't the man you love; that man never existed." u/Apprehensive-Hawk-39 added, "Holy sh*t, honey. Your lawyer is going to clean his clock. Please go easy on yourself! This has to be so disorienting. Having gone through a divorce after being lied to, you are going to flourish after this. It’s hard to see or believe, but there is a better life on the way, and you’re on that path."
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