This is a story of how I, at age 57, discovered a family secret by taking an Ancestry.com DNA test. I was eager to explore my lineage. Would I discover a Native American heritage? Was I royalty? Was I related to Lucille Ball? Carol Burnett? Anything seemed possible!

What I discovered was that my father—who raised me, walked me down the aisle, sang with me at the piano, and whom I adored—was not my biological father at all.

I am an NPE (not parent expected) or MPE (misattributed parental event) person. As much as 30 percent of the world may share this identity. Thanks to recreational DNA testing, the secrets and lies are exposed, with numbers increasing.

In Ancestry Discoveries, I tell the story of the discovery and the unraveling of truths thereafter but explore the plight of the NPE person, hoping my story might serve as someone else's survival guide.

The shock and scandal of the discovery are only the first step in a life of readjustment—for me and for many like me. My life felt like a lie until I made it true. The search for connection led me on an adventure of discovery to places I never thought I would go. Seeing this new world with a new set of lenses fostered personal growth and breakthroughs. The choice was plain: I could choose to be a victim or an adventurer. I chose the latter. There were connections to be made, disconnections to endure, and reconnections to explore. The most profound connection I made was to myself. What happens under the sheets doesn't stay there, and I am proof of that.