I've been with my boyfriend a year and a half and I love him more than anything, but recent events have me sick to my stomach and second guessing everything. My boyfriend's last name is Stephenson. I'm related to some Stephenson's. We made sure the first month we were dating that we weren't related, and I asked his family if they knew 'So & So Stephenson." and they all said no. They said they've never heard of them in their family. So we figured we were alright, since I guess it is a common last name in the area. Recently I was talking to my cousin Michelle (her last name is Stephenson). She's much older than I am so I refer to her as my aunt. She asked me what my boyfriends last name was, and I told her. And she's like "Did you ever stop to think you guys might be related?"

I told her we checked into it, and we figured we weren't, but from talking to her I've figured out that Michelle's exhusband and my boyfriends father are cousins. EXHUSBAND. They're divorced, but she also has three kids with him. My question is... are me and my boyfriend related? It makes me sick to my stomach to think I could be dating someone that I'm related to for a year and a half. I'm so attached that I don't wanna leave him, but in light of recent events, that just might happen.

Somebody please explain this to me. Are we or are we not related? I'm so lost...