My Husband Raced to the Dump After I Tossed His Old Attic Jacket — I Was Stunned When I Learned Why

Cleaning the attic was supposed to be an ordinary task until my husband went ballistic thinking I’d thrown away a torn-down jacket. That clothing item ended up unraveling the truth about something he was doing behind my back. And that led to something I never expected in all my life!

It was a crisp fall afternoon when I decided it was finally time to tackle the attic. For years, it had been a catch-all for everything from holiday decorations to old clothes that hadn’t seen the light of day in decades. I’d been meaning to clean it out for ages, but what I found in it led to me becoming a single woman after years of marriage…

Like everything else in life, cleaning the attic kept getting pushed down the list. My husband, Jeff, had mentioned before that most of the stuff up there was junk anyway. In fact, just last year, he told me his old high school jacket, now sitting forgotten in a pile of boxes, should go straight to the dump.

With that in mind, I started pulling things out, one by one. A broken lamp, boxes of our now-grown kids’ school projects, and, of course, Jeff’s old jacket. I barely glanced at it before tossing it into the pile meant for the dump.

It was faded and torn in a few places, and it smelled like it had been trapped in a musty attic for years. Not exactly a sentimental keepsake, right?

That evening, we sat down for dinner, the kind of normal weeknight meal where we barely had time to talk before cleaning up and moving on with the night. The air smelled like roasted chicken, but my husband of twenty years was oddly quiet.

He picked at his food for a while before I broke the silence.

“I cleaned out the attic today,” I said casually, trying to start a lighthearted conversation between us. “Threw out a bunch of our old junk.”

Jeff froze. His fork stopped halfway to his mouth before he dropped it onto the plate with a clatter.

“What JUNK?” he asked, his voice rising sharply, eyes wide like I’d just told him the house was on fire.

“Just some old stuff from the attic. Why?” I tried to keep my tone light, but the way his expression shifted had me worried.

Without another word, my husband immediately pushed back his chair, nearly knocking it over in his haste to get upstairs. I stayed behind, confused by his sudden panic. I heard him rummaging through boxes, muttering to himself.

Moments later, he came storming downstairs, fists clenched at his sides.

“Where’s my old school jacket?” His voice was dangerously low, with an edge to it I hadn’t heard before. He looked like he was ready to punch the walls!

I blinked at him, trying to figure out why he cared so much.

“I probably tossed it,” I said. “It was in a pile of stuff for the dump.”
The color literally drained from his face, and I could almost see the pulse pounding in his temple!

“You THREW it away?” he growled, his voice shaking with barely-contained fury. “I told you to throw away the junk, not that jacket!”

I stood there, dumbfounded. “Jeff, last year you said that jacket was trash… literally said it belonged in the dump!”

He let out a bitter laugh that sent chills down my spine.

“Well, guess what? The day I married YOU was a curse!”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut! And before I could respond, he stormed out of the house, grabbed his car keys, and peeled out of the driveway.

For a second, I was too shocked to move! But then something told me to follow him. Grabbing my purse, I jumped into my car and raced after him, my heart pounding. Where could he possibly be going in such a rage?

When I saw him pull into the entrance of the local dump, it all started to click into place!

The jacket. He was here to find that old jacket. But why? There had to be something more to it than just nostalgia. And what the hell did he mean that marrying me was a “curse?”

But soon enough, I’d find out what was in that jacket and why it would wreck our marriage…

I parked and hurried after him, catching sight of my husband frantically searching through piles of trash. I’d never seen him like this before… so on edge, so wild! My heart raced as I approached him.

“Jeff, what is going on? Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my voice trembling now.

He stopped digging, turning to face me, his face pale.

“Because, Stacy,” he spat, “I was saving money. Fifty thousand dollars. For us… to buy a new house.”

I took a step back, trying to process what he was saying. Fifty thousand? In an old, ratty jacket?

But then his words echoed in my head. “For US.” I didn’t believe it. Something felt wrong… really wrong.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“I didn’t think I had to!” he snapped, returning to his desperate search. “I was going to surprise you. Now it’s all gone BECAUSE of you!”

Back then, I had no idea what he was actually doing behind my back and that there was more to the money he’d saved!

I went with his lie.

I watched him sift through heaps of trash, his hands filthy, and something inside me twisted. Despite desperately wanting to believe him, his story wasn’t adding up. But I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. We never found the jacket that night. Eventually, after hours of searching, Jeff slumped down in defeat.

He wouldn’t even look at me.

We drove home in our separate cars, and I was silent as I continued contemplating my husband’s actions and statements. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. After we got home, Jeff went straight to the bedroom without a word.

I sat on the couch, staring at the wall, my mind racing. What was it about that jacket? Why was he acting like this? Was there really money in the jacket?

An hour passed, and I heard my husband’s voice, low and hushed, from the bedroom. I crept up to the door, leaning close enough to hear his words through the thin walls.

“I don’t have the money anymore,” Jeff was saying. “That useless woman threw it out with the jacket!”

My breath caught in my throat…

“No, I wasn’t saving it for me and her,” he continued. “It was for the house… for US, like we said.”

My blood turned to ice. “US?” He wasn’t talking about me. He was talking about someone else!

I pushed open the door, unable to hold back my anger any longer!

“WHO are you talking to, Jeff?”

His face went pale as he turned to face me, phone still in hand. “Stacy… I…”

“No,” I said, cutting him off. “Who were you going to buy a house with?”

He didn’t answer, just stared at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

But I didn’t NEED him to answer. I already knew. There was someone else. Someone who had been waiting for that fifty thousand dollars.

“I’m filing for divorce,” I said, my voice calm and steady. “The kids and everyone is going to find out the truth about who you really are. You called me useless to your mistress, Jeff…”

It was the only thing that made sense now.

Jeff’s face twisted in anger, but I didn’t stay to hear his excuses. I walked out and didn’t look back.

A month after the divorce, I found myself back in the attic since I’d won the house in our filing. The chaos of the last few weeks had kept me from returning, but I needed to get my old sewing machine for a project I’d started.

As I sifted through boxes, my hand brushed against something soft… something familiar.

There, at the bottom of a box I had somehow missed, was Jeff’s old jacket.

I froze, pulling it out and staring at it in disbelief. I hadn’t thrown it away after all!
With trembling hands, I checked the inside pocket, and there it was… the fifty thousand dollars, neatly folded, exactly where he had hidden it!

But this time, there was no rush to tell anyone. No need to share. Jeff had made his choices, and now I was making mine. I kept the money, my heart racing at the thought of what it meant for my future.

This time, it was my secret to keep…

Woman Discovers a Photo of Herself as a Newborn with a Birthmark She Never Had, Her Mother Finally Reveals the Truth — Story of the Day

While helping her mother, Sarah, move into a new house, Natalie stumbles upon an old photograph hidden in a box. It shows a young Sarah holding a newborn baby with a distinctive birthmark on its cheek. But Natalie never had a birthmark. Confused and unsettled, she realizes there’s a secret her mother has been hiding.

Natalie adjusted her grip on the heavy box, glancing at Sarah, who was busily sorting through their belongings. It felt strange, this new feeling—admiration. For years, she had begged her mother to leave Ross, warning her about his manipulative ways.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“You deserve better,” she’d say, but Sarah never listened. Each time she walked away from Ross, she’d return, swayed by a shiny necklace or an expensive dinner. But now, things were different. Sarah had finally found the strength to break free.

Watching her mother carry on despite the fear in her eyes, Natalie couldn’t help but feel a new kind of respect.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Sarah said, her voice trembling as she looked around the empty house. It was a new beginning, but fear lingered in her eyes.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Natalie paused, watching her mother. “How do you feel about everything?”

“I’m scared, Natalie,” Sarah admitted, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“I get it, Mom. It’s okay to be scared. But remember, you did the right thing.”

Sarah wrung her hands, glancing at the floor. “What if I go back to him again? What if I can’t make it on my own? What if I fail?”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“You won’t, Mom,” Natalie said firmly. “You’ll figure it out, and I’ll be here with you. You’re not alone in this. You have me, your one and only daughter, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Sarah looked up, and her eyes filled with unshed tears. Her brow furrowed, lips quivering.

“Mom, are you okay?” Natalie asked, concerned.

“Yes, yes. Sorry, I just got lost in thought.” Sarah forced a smile.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

They started unpacking, trying to focus on the small tasks. “You sure kept a lot of stuff, Mom,” Natalie remarked, lifting another heavy box.

Sarah called from the other room, “Oh, really? I seem to remember a certain college student with a mountain of boxes.”

Natalie chuckled, shaking her head. “Okay, okay, you got me there. But I’m different now. I’ve learned to let go.”

She pulled open a dusty box, revealing a stack of old photo albums. She brushed off the top one and flipped it open, smiling as she saw herself as a toddler, playing in the backyard, dressed in funny Halloween costumes, and grinning with a gap-toothed smile.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Page after page, she saw Sarah’s smiling face next to hers, but she avoided the photos that showed Ross. She flipped past those quickly, a sour feeling building in her chest whenever his face appeared.

Once she finished the albums, she reached the bottom of the box and noticed an old envelope. It looked out of place, hidden away like a secret. Curiosity took over, and she carefully opened it.

Inside was a single photograph. It showed a much younger Sarah, looking tired but joyful, cradling a newborn in her arms at the hospital. Natalie squinted at the baby, her smile fading. A large birthmark covered the baby’s cheek.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

She flipped the photo over and read the date. It matched the day of her own birth. Her heart skipped a beat, confusion filling her mind. “But I never had a birthmark,” she whispered to herself, scanning the photo again. A chill ran down her spine as dread settled in. Something wasn’t right.

Natalie stormed into the bedroom, gripping the photograph tightly. “Mom? Don’t you have something to explain?” she demanded, holding the picture up for Sarah to see.

Sarah’s eyes widened, and she froze, clearly flustered. “Uhh… Natalie… where did you find that?” she asked, her voice shaky.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“In the box with the photo albums,” Natalie replied coldly.

Sarah swallowed hard. “I can explain. It’s… it’s just the baby of a woman who was sharing the hospital room with me.”

Natalie narrowed her eyes. “Really? And you’ve kept it all these years? Why would you hide it in an envelope?”

“I—I don’t know,” Sarah stammered, rubbing the back of her head. “It’s nothing, Natalie.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“Don’t lie to me, Mom,” Natalie shot back. “You always do that when you lie. What’s going on? Who’s this baby?”

Sarah sighed, her hands trembling. “It’s complicated, Natalie. It was a long time ago…”

Natalie crossed her arms. “Then start explaining.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Sarah took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Alright. But promise you won’t hate me.”

“I can’t promise that,” Natalie replied sharply. “Just tell me.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “When your father and I first got married, we didn’t have much. We were poor, barely scraping by.”

Natalie huffed, her impatience growing. “I know all that, Mom.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Sarah nodded. “Then, when I got pregnant, we were excited but scared. We didn’t have the money, but we wanted to keep the baby. When we went for the second ultrasound, they told us we were having twins.”

Natalie blinked, the revelation hitting her like a wave. “Twins?”

Sarah nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yes. But your father… he didn’t take it well. He said we couldn’t afford two children. He wanted me to have an abortion, but it was too late.”

Natalie’s breath caught in her throat, but she remained silent, waiting for her mother to continue.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“When you were born,” Sarah whispered, “you had a sister. But then… your father brought two strangers into the hospital room. He said… one of you had to go. I begged him, Natalie, I did. But he had already made up his mind.”

Natalie’s hands tightened into fists. “You let him take her?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Sarah sobbed. “I didn’t want to lose either of you.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Natalie stood, her chest heaving with anger. “So, I have a sister—a twin—and you never told me? You let her go, and you stayed with him after that?”

“I loved him,” Sarah whispered, tears falling freely.

Natalie glared at her, her voice trembling with rage. “You loved him more than your own child! I knew you weren’t the best mother, but this… this is worse than I ever imagined!” She turned toward the door, her mind racing.

“Natalie, please—”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

But Natalie didn’t stop. She ran out of the room, out of the apartment, leaving her mother’s cries behind her.

Back in her apartment, her hands shook as she typed out a message to Sarah:

Who did you and Dad give her to?

Minutes passed, each one feeling like an hour. When Sarah finally replied with the information, Natalie’s heart hardened. She blocked her mother’s number without hesitation, determined to find answers on her own.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Through a few quick searches on social media, she found out her sister’s name—Amber. She lived in a neighboring state. Without a second thought, she booked a plane ticket and boarded the flight that same afternoon, her mind racing with questions.

When she landed, Natalie called a cab, and the driver took her to Amber’s address. The cab stopped in front of a charming, two-story house with a big, well-kept yard. Natalie sat in the backseat, nerves building as she stared at the house.

“Lady, I can’t sit here all day; some of us have jobs,” the cab driver snapped.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Natalie shot him a quick, irritated look and got out of the car, her legs unsteady. She walked up to the fence, clutching it tightly for support. Her breath caught when she spotted a woman who looked just like her, except for a birthmark on her cheek—Amber.

Amber was playing with a little boy while a man, probably her husband, laughed beside them. An elderly couple sat nearby, holding hands, their smiles warm and gentle. When they leaned in for a kiss, it reminded Natalie of a love she had never seen between her parents.

“Mom, Dad, come on, show some restraint,” Amber said with a grin as she watched her parents kiss.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Just then, two older women walked by and noticed Natalie by the fence. “Hi, Amber!” one of them greeted her warmly, mistaking her for her twin.

Natalie hesitated, caught off guard. “Oh, uh… hi,” she replied awkwardly, forcing a smile.

The women continued walking, not noticing the confusion, while Natalie tried to steady her nerves.

Natalie took one last look at Amber’s family. They seemed so content, like a picture-perfect scene from a commercial. Amber was laughing with her little boy, while her husband joined in, and her parents sat nearby, relaxed and happy.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

It was clear they were close, a real family, and Natalie felt a sharp pang in her chest. She realized then that she couldn’t disrupt that happiness. With a heavy sigh, she turned away, her heart aching but resolute.

She couldn’t be the one to ruin Amber’s peace. As much as it hurt, she knew it was the right thing to do.

The next morning, Natalie flew back home, still haunted by what she’d learned. Without fully understanding why, she found herself calling a cab to her mom’s house.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

As she arrived, she saw her dad’s car pulling away. Her heart sank, and she feared the worst. She stepped out and knocked, and Sarah opened the door almost immediately.

Natalie looked at her mom, her voice sharp. “Was Dad here?”

Sarah hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

Natalie felt her stomach drop. “So, you forgave him. Again.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Sarah glanced down, fidgeting with her hands. “He brought me a necklace,” she said softly. “It’s beautiful…” Her voice faded as she spoke.

Natalie sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I see,” she said, turning to leave, feeling the familiar sting of disappointment.

Before she could step away, Sarah spoke again, her voice stronger. “But I told him to go to hell.”

Natalie stopped, stunned. She turned back, searching her mom’s face. Seeing the truth there, she stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug. They clung to each other, tears streaming, finally finding a sense of relief.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, read this one: When a new boss named Mr. Brecker arrived at the company, the staff hoped for the best. But he quickly turned out to be a nightmare—strict, rude, and dismissive, especially towards Kira, the hardworking manager. Instead of backing down, Kira decided to fight back, leading to a bold plan that would change everything.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.

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