Anne Lister is right - some abandonment 'stories' are, in fact, true.    One instance happened in my family, a man who walked out on his wife and family and never contacted them again. Arriving home one evening he was met by his wife, who told him that, while he was out, a bloke had called to see him. "What did he want?" asked the man. "I don't know, he didn't say" replied the wife. "Right-oh" said the man, who then got back in his car and drove off - she assumed to see the bloke who had called. He never ever returned.

The man who walked out and never spoke to his family again was my father.