Traumatised woman felt sick upon realising she slept with brother after taking DNA test

Finding things out after the relationship has ended is normally water off a duck's back for most people, seen as though any hint of romance is no longer existent - but how about discovering your ex fella is actually your half-brother?

Now that is a big deal.

This nightmare sadly became a reality for Victoria Hill, 39, after she did some digging into her family tree and uncovered something which she probably wishes she hadn't.

And just to add fuel to the fire, the clinical social worker from Connecticut, US, found out this life-changing news via text.

You're probably wondering how one could end up in this sort of mess and it's quite the mind-boggling tale, to say the least.

Take a look at this:

Victoria explained that she had reunited with her high school sweetheart at a 20-year reunion, when she decided to dish the dirt on a recent revelation that had rocked her family.

When her mother, Maralee, was trying to conceive a child, she had visited fertility doctor Burton Caldwell for help.

The medic informed her that he would inseminate sperm which was sourced from an anonymous medical student, but in actual fact, it was his own.

Both Maralee and Victoria had no idea about this - until the daughter took a 23andMe DNA test to try and get to the bottom of some strange health symptoms she was experiencing.

Much to the 39-year-old's surprise, it revealed that the man who had raised her wasn't actually her father.

Later on down the line, she discovered that her family was a lot larger than she had initially thought too - as she has 23 siblings who also claim to have also been conceived using Caldwell’s sperm.

What a story for a school reunion, eh?

While Victoria was pouring her heart out about the shock news, her former boyfriend's ears pricked up.

Victoria Hill, 39, was left stunned when she realised she had 'been intimate' with her half-brother (CNN)

He had noticed some similarities and decided to take the same genetic test as she did - resulting in the lad later sending his high school girlfriend a message bluntly stating: "You are my sister."

"I moved to Wallingford in middle school, and we were best friends for years, and then ultimately decided to date and then we decided to go our separate ways because of college," Victoria told NBC Connecticut.

"We never ended up marrying and having children, but he is someone who, even to this day, I very much would have considered that, had life taken us in that direction."

She said she’s now looking back at her ‘whole high school experience’ differently as this strange development 'tarnishes the whole thing', before adding: "I’ll just put it out there, I was intimate with my half-brother."

"I was traumatised by this," Victoria also told CNN. "Now I’m looking at pictures of people thinking, well, if he could be my sibling, anybody could be my sibling."

Turns out, she even went to primary school with another of her siblings unknowingly, as well as visiting a local deli owned by twins she’s related to.

Fertility doctor Burton Caldwell reportedly fathered more than 20 children with his own sperm - including Victoria and her ex (CNN)

Janine Pierson, one of Victoria’s other half-siblings, is taking action against the retired doctor.

Recalling what happened when she revealed the news to her mum, she said: "We both just cried for a few minutes because it just felt like such a violation."

Janine bravely confronted Caldwell, who she said was ‘not in any way apologetic’.

Describing the interaction as awkward, she said he admitted that he ‘never gave it the thought that he should have’.

Despite there being no federal laws around the issue and only 13 states having any sort of protection in place against fertility fraud, Janine is pursuing legal action against the retired doctor.

Alongside her mother Doreen, she is suing Caldwell on several counts, including negligent infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery and failure to obtain informed consent

They are seeking at least $15,000 (£11,700) in damages.

"It shouldn't just be, you know, the Wild West where these doctors can just do whatever it is that they want," Janine added.

Caldwell and his attorney Patrick J. Sweeney 'deny all the allegations.'