I should have failed VCE maths. About half way through year 12 my parents got divorced and my attitude spiralled out of control, according to my teachers. But my parents were too busy arguing to notice my grades falling or that I was skipping more classes than I was attending. By September, my form teacher […]

My twin sister had been away travelling and working abroad for three years. We were very close and when she called one morning to let me know that she would be returning home within the month I was very excited. Not only would she be returning but she also mentioned that she had a big […]

My children had been pestering my husband and me for a dog for years. We’d decided to wait until they were old enough to help care for it, so now, at eight and five, we figured they were just about ready. My husband had recently lost his job and we were really struggling to make […]

Cruelly teased about her weight, Holly Watters became anorexic and began a hellish exercise routine. Caught in the grip of a deadly addiction to losing weight, the teenager would force herself to complete a staggering 6000 sit-ups a day. “My stomach muscles burned and I would cry with exhaustion, but I wouldn’t stop until I […]

When I first met Ethan, everything appeared a bed of roses. He was sweet and attentive, everything a new boyfriend should be. He was also a lot wealthier than any of the other guys I’d been out with. I was only 19, so I guess it wasn’t surprising that I mistook his generous gifts of […]

Walking up to her husband in the supermarket, Heather Sellers affectionately placed an arm around him. “Shall we have chicken or beef tonight?” she asked. But instead of an answer, she was met with complete confusion. “He was looking at me, not smiling, bewilderment in his eyes,” Heather recalls. Unfortunately for Heather, the man was […]

My cousin, Lisa, and I were never very close. The only two girls in an otherwise tight-knit family, as well as being the same age, during childhood we were always very competitive with each other. Growing up seemed to be an endless parade of rivalry, back stabbing, and generally trying to outdo each other. Sometimes […]

When mother-of-three Michelle Cole met Katherine Hutton at their children’s kindergarten, the pair hit it off immediately. “Kathy was such fun. We quickly became really close,” tells Michelle. Over the next nine years the women became best friends, confiding in each other about everything. “We’d have long chats and I enjoyed being her best friend,” […]

Anton and I had gone to school together, but growing up I wouldn’t say we were close … or even friendly. Anton came from one of the rich families outside town, who owned thousands of acres of prime farm land and won the highest accolades for their wool and cattle. I, on the other hand, […]