It's always devastating when you find out that a loved one kept a secret from you. Think of Maria Shriver finding out that her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had fathered a child with the couple's housekeeper. Well, there are secrets and then there are SECRETS. And this one makes Ahhhnold's look tame in comparison.

A 60-year-old woman named Valerie Spruill, from Doylestown, Ohio, found out something after her husband passed away. And it's something that has kept her in therapy ever since. You'd be in therapy too! In fact, if this happened to me, I'd check into therapy and never leave. I'd set up house on the therapist's couch. It's that sick and twisted, folks. Ready for it? Her husband was her FATHER!!! Can I get a big WTF??!!!

Valerie had a difficult childhood. She was raised by her grandparents, who told her they were her parents. They were trying to hide the truth from her, which was that her mother was a prostitute who gave her up at 3 months old. She finally discovered the truth at age 9: That the "family friend" who occasionally came around was actually her mother.

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Years later, Valerie met a truck driver named Percy Spruill from Akron. It's unclear from the stories I read how long they were married, but any time is too long when you discover that your hubby is your dad.

Poor Valerie. Apparently her mother, who was, like I said, a prostitute, had had several children with Percy. And Percy, at some point, set his sights on Valerie and began courting her. Because although she's not 100 percent certain, Valerie suspects that Percy knew she was his daughter. I mean, whaaa --- ???

Valerie says she heard "rumors" about their relationship from the get-go (she doesn't say what kind of rumors exactly) but didn't try to confirm them until after her husband's death in 1998, when she asked her uncle about them. And her uncle confirmed that Percy was Valerie's father. Because apparently "half of Akron" knew the real relationship between the two. Wife is really always the last to know, eh?! Sheesh. Nice people. Think they would have clued her into that one.

This all sounds pretty damn far-fetched but Valerie claims she can prove it with a DNA test. This story leaves so many questions. If Valerie had found out while Percy was alive, what would she have done? Stayed with him? Had him arrested? What kind of fath -- I mean, husband was he? Whaaaat???

Why is Valerie coming out with this story now -- or even at all? She says she wants to find her other siblings. She knows of at least six brothers, but believes there's more out there. She also wants people to see that you can suffer through a trauma and still be a positive, productive person. She told Ohio.com:

I want this to be more of an inspirational story. If I’ve come through this, anyone can come through anything through the help of the Lord.

That's pretty inspirational and I give her props! But with that many male relatives running around, I'd suggest she get out of Ohio before marrying again.

Can you believe this story?!

Editor's note: The Daily News has finally cleared up some of the questions not answered in the original Ohio.com article. Valerie had three children but they were NOT Percy's. They were from her first marriage. She also says her marriage was "good."

 

Image via PeterJBellis/Flickr