People have been left astounded after a Reddit user revealed how they discovered their child was swapped at birth.
A wife took to Reddit to seek the advice of the online community after her husband took a paternity test behind her back and it came back negative.
However, the 29-year-old mother's story took an unexpected and gobsmacking turn after the test spurred on a chain of events unravelling a whole lot more than just the possibility of one partner cheating.
Advert
The user (u/red_earaches) took to the social networking platform in despair on Friday 1 July, calling upon followers to help provide her with any possible answer to why a paternity test her husband took on the couple's five-year-old daughter had come back negative.
They said: "I don't know how it happened and I haven't been able to stop crying all day. I never cheated. I love my husband, we've been together since college and he's the love of my life, he's handsome and kind and while I've slept with two other people, both were before we got together.
"There is no other potential father for our daughter. We were married already and actively trying for a baby. I never cheated, I never would cheat, and I don't know why he took that stupid test because I would never, ever cheat, but it came back negative and now he thinks he's not her dad.
Advert
"I don't know how to convince him it was a faulty test and I'm so scared."
The 29-year-old woefully detailed how 'cold and suspicious' her husband had become and even 'distant' with their five-year-old daughter too.
She explained how he'd performed the paternity test after thinking their daughter's brown eye colour couldn't be possible considering both his and his wife's eyes are blue.
Advert
The user called upon followers for any suggestions as to how she could prove her innocence and 'keep [her] family together at all costs'.
In an update - and shocking turn of events - the mother revealed further tests showed neither she nor her partner are the biological parents of their daughter.
"I don't know how this happened, but a police officer came to our house and took our statements, and we're suing the hospital where I gave birth. I don't know what happened to my baby, and that is terrifying. I have my husband back, but my whole world was still upended, and I just wish he'd never taken that stupid test.
Advert
"I've been sleeping in my daughter's room, and I'm so afraid that she's going to be taken away from me, but at the same time I want to know where my biological daughter is, and if she's okay. I pray to god she's okay," she said.
Other Reddit users have been quick to flood to the post in shock but also support of the family.
"Jesus f**king Christ can you imagine being the mother and thinking 'this is f**king stupid why am I taking this test I literally birthed this child' only for it to come back negative?" one said.
Advert
"That is devastating in such an awful, awful way. These poor people," another reflected.
A third tagged a similar Reddit post by another mother who discovered her baby wasn't her or her husband's. The thread offers advice on getting multiple tests and medical opinions before then consulting a lawyer.
The user then told followers how her and her husband have decided to keep the news from their daughter because they don't want her to be 'looked at differently'.
If the couple do find their daughter's biological family, the user suggested they could perhaps all live together. "But I don't know if we can afford that, or if they'd go for that, or even if we'll be able to locate them, or if I'm just crazy," she continued.
She also added in a section written by her husband to give 'his side of the story' and explain his response to the results of the paternity test.
He said: "I didn't want to believe it, but yeah, I pulled back. I felt betrayed. I wanted to be a good husband but I couldn't shake this. [...] I didn't want to go through what everyone seemed to think was going to happen. I didn't want to lose custody of my kid. I didn't want to lose my house. I was scared, and angry, and I wanted the truth."
The 29-year-old mother concluded by asking if anyone knows of any support groups for families who have been in similar situations.
She asked: "How do we tell our daughter? I mean we can't tell her now, she'll tell the kids at school and then it'll be everywhere, but we have to say something. I don't know what I ever did to deserve this."
The Redditer resolved: "I love this man very much and have for ages, and we are not going to let this situation break our marriage. Thank you to everyone for all your help."
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]