Copyright walesonline
Losing a loved one is never straightforward, and attending their funeral often proves an incredibly difficult time emotionally. Whether you shared a close bond with them or not, bidding farewell can leave you experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, and it's completely natural to feel bewildered, heartbroken, or even furious as you come to terms with the reality that they're no longer here. One woman on Reddit , however, found herself feeling more bewildered than most when three strangers appeared unexpectedly during her father's funeral service. The woman revealed her dad had died at 62, and had lived what seemed like a fairly ordinary life with his wife, her mother, with whom he had shared a relationship since his teenage years. But when a woman and two teenage boys entered the funeral service without warning, everything the woman believed about her father came tumbling down around her. The stranger approached her and declared: "I think we should talk. I'm Denise. I was with your dad for 15 years." At first, the woman assumed the stranger was deceiving her, but when she supported her claims with photographic proof of her dad at birthday celebrations, Christmases, and holidays, she couldn't dispute the evidence. She continued: "She said he'd told her my mom had passed away years ago. He'd been living a double life for almost two decades, splitting time between 'work trips' that were really weekends with her. "My mum's entire face crumpled when I told her. They'd just celebrated their 40th anniversary." Now, both of her father's families are confronting the emotional aftermath of this revelation, as neither side was aware of the other's existence until after his death. Whilst still attempting to come to terms with losing the man they believed they knew, they're also wrestling with what he left behind. The woman went on: "Now we're dealing with the emotional fallout, two families grieving the same man, realising he wasn't the person we thought he was. "I keep wondering how many birthdays and holidays he spent rushing between us, pretending he was late because of traffic." Those commenting on the post were stunned by the family drama the woman had unwittingly found herself part of. Numerous people offered their sympathies for her loss, both following her father's death and the "illusion he built". One person remarked: "Double life, double grief. You're mourning the man who raised you and the illusion he built. That's the worst kind of loss, when even your memories feel like lies." Another commented: "I am so sorry. All I can think of is that therapy would be good, and maybe the siblings would at least not hate each other. This is insanely tough to navigate with a death plus betrayal." A third responded: "Man, that's absolutely brutal. I can't even imagine processing that at a funeral of all places. The logistics alone of keeping two families going for 15 years is insane."
