Ah, your wedding day — the best day of your life! Unless it's the worst. Marrying the wrong person is a serious ordeal, and recognizing it, much less extracting yourself from the situation, is not always easy.
So redditor u/LittleFuzzyThings wanted to know: "People who separated/divorced within one year of getting married: When did you know it was a mistake?"
The responses indicate that people can become straight-up monsters once the deed is done (if not before). Here are some of the most shocking replies.
Warning: This post contains mentions of physical assault.
1. "When she nearly killed me because she thought I was cheating from some texts that were to my mother."
2. "A couple of weeks into our marriage, the sex started to physically hurt. I went to my OB-GYN, and after a test or two, she informed me I had contracted chlamydia. That's when I knew."
3. "I knew it was over when she started a fight at my brother's funeral because female attendees were giving me hugs as part of the condolences."
4. "On our honeymoon. We dated for five years, but on the honeymoon, we had a big argument over my liberal use of sunscreen. She refused to wear any because of ‘chemicals,’ and I liberally use it because of my ginger skin. We seriously argued over this for a good hour, and she refused to even go into the pool with me because of sunscreen chemicals."
5. "When he said my son's suicide attempt interfered with his (ex's) birthday party."
6. "She went out for girls' night and met a new friend named Nicole at a bar. Started texting her a lot, then going to hang out now and then. We had a baby at home, and she kept trying to go hang out with this girl from another town over with no last name whom I was not allowed to meet."
7. "My brother died a week after the wedding. After about two months, he told me that was just too big a thing to happen at the beginning of a marriage."
"I tried for six more months and then just gave up."
8. "A girl I know found out, one month into the marriage, that her husband cheated the day of the wedding."
9. "The marriage lasted all of two weeks. Apparently my dad's new bride had the gall to ask my dad to leave everything to her in the will, and write me and my brother out."
10. "The day after we got married, when he slapped me across the face (hard and completely out of the blue). No argument, no conversation leading up to it, nothing. He said it wasn't that hard a hit, he was just kidding around, and I was being overdramatic. He had never gotten violent with me while dating, but as soon as we got married, it was like a switch flipped."
"He was a COMPLETELY different person. It got worse very quickly, and I ended up filing for divorce 73 days after we got married."
Note: If you have ANY concerns about domestic violence in your relationship, please find a safe space and contact the Hotline.
11. "The day after the wedding, when he poked me in the chest and said, 'You're going to do what I say whether you like it or not.' Ugh. Big mistake."
12. "She decided she was in love with her stepbrother a month after we got married."
13. "The next morning, when I woke up and thought, When would be a socially acceptable time to get divorced?”
14. "A cousin of mine married someone who seemed like the perfect woman. They worked in the same store together, and he would brag about how his wife was getting promoted quickly in the company. A few months into the marriage, she tells him she's going out with friends for the evening. An hour or so later, my cousin gets a call from one of his friends."
15. "When I was in Iraq and she posted a picture on Facebook of her and another guy lying in bed together; it was obvious that they had just hooked up."
16. "Not me, but a female friend knew about four to six weeks into her marriage. Her husband at the time basically spent a few years prior to marriage being a bit of a salesman to everyone. Once they got behind closed doors, his 'traditional marriage' roots really came out. They both had fast-moving careers, and while he was okay with her making money and having a career, he also expected her to cook, clean, take care of the dogs, etc., and never lifted a finger."
17. "On my honeymoon, when he threw my ice cream cone out the car window."
18. "When she went running off with a guy she met in rehab, it was a pretty solid clue that it wasn't meant to be."
19. "When I began working with the elderly and saw what real love and lasting marriages looked like."
20. "My dad got back from his honeymoon and went back to work. He came home, and something felt off when he walked in the door. She wasn't there when he got home from work, which was odd, since she got off work earlier than he did and was always home when he got back."
21. "When she fucked her ex within the first six months."
22. "Literally at the altar. Lemme tell ya, that's a great feeling."
23. "I remember thinking, I shouldn't do this as the officiant was asking for our vows. Ten years later, I'm almost free. Don't get married if you have doubts."
"Just don't."
24. "I knew it was a mistake deep down but wanted to be the best husband, so I decided to just let the yelling and insults slide because 'love' — until I saw her mom treating her dad the same way."
25. "When she cheated on me a week in and told me on my birthday that she never loved me. She cheated with my best friend, btw. Did I mention she told me all of this on my birthday 10 days after we got married?"
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
So glad these folks got out — makes you want to hug your pets extra tight. If you've experienced a surprise spousal nightmare, tell us in the comments!
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.