When people hear the word divorce, they may already assume it’s a horror story. When couples exchange vows, they believe that it means forever. An unexpected break-up, separation, or divorce can be a horrifying event for most people. In fact, the heartbreak is the horror. However, sometimes there are circumstances that go way beyond heartbreak. Divorce horror stories, like the ones described here, happen more often than you might think. Below are a few divorce horror stories that can take your breath away. To protect their identity, all of the names have been excluded from these anecdotes. However, remember that these stories are very real and can happen to anyone.
She Was Diagnosed with Cancer, He Filed for Divorce
Some of the worst stories of divorce come from a diagnosis of an illness. This divorce horror story comes to us from a couple who was married for seven years before things started to crumble. She was a dental hygienist and he was a financial advisor. They met in their third year of college and decided to make it official after dating for four years. As he became more and more involved in financial planning, she expressed concerns that his day-to-day activities were making him cold and less empathetic. This was an extreme twist, since he was often seen as an activist and human rights advocate throughout college. His interest in money became more obvious as he worked his way up the firm’s corporate ladder.
During their fifth year of marriage, she had been expressing feelings of fatigue, headaches, and nausea more and more often. After weeks of doctor’s visits, MRI’s, and other tests, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Feeling as though his hard-earned money shouldn’t have to go to her healthcare, he filed for divorce. Not only was she suffering from a terminal illness, but her longtime partner took as many assets as possible and left her with nothing. Having to deal with both heartbreak and a terrible illness makes this number one on our list of divorce horror stories.
Living a Double Life
This was a couple that most people envied. They had a great relationship and you would never imagine them with ending up with one of the worst divorce horror stories. She was from Germany and he lived in the same place his entire life. Upon first hearing of this couple, you may think that this is a green card scenario gone wrong, but she was a legal resident of the US and had been for many years. However, she did still have dual citizenship, which made traveling back and forth to Europe convenient. Working as a research assistant in an academic setting, she was required to gather pertinent information for her university in both countries. Flights to Germany were happening more and more often. He owned and operated a landscaping business. Summers were very busy for him so he was content with them both being occupied with their professions.
However, after the summer, he started to notice changes in her behavior and became suspicious. Soon he discovered that she was involved in an entirely different life in Leipzig. She was involved with another man and was helping him raise his 13-year old daughter. She was supplying her other family with money and credit cards and spending thousands of dollars during her visits overseas. He ended up walking away with most of their estate, while she was left paying all of the legal fees. At least there was justice in the end.
He Hired a Hit Man
Last but most certainly not least, attempted murder is also included on this list divorce horror stories. The most unfortunate part of this case was that it involved a dispute over child custody. When she found out he was having an affair, she filed for divorce and full custody of their son. Since his absence was easy to document and prove in court, she was granted full custody. Of course, this made him very angry. Instead of filing an appeal, he put out an ad for a hitman. Thankfully, this ad was answered by an undercover police officer. After exchanging the money, he sat and waited for the deed to be done. Of course, shortly after the transaction, he was arrested while his soon-to-be ex-wife waited in police protection.
The worst part about this is the fact that he only ended up serving two years for attempted murder. Her and her son are safe and continue to stay away from the father/felon.
Divorce Horror Stories: What to Do If You’re Facing One
While these stories are exceptional and uncommon, they do happen. If you are facing a divorce and you believe that it could turn into something uglier than it has to be, call for support. Contacting a divorce attorney now can make things easier for you later. Don’t let your story turn into a horror story.