An old story on Reddit, could have come from other sources, about the guy who had a whole life, career, wife, kids, and one night at a party or something he noticed a light was flickering wrong. Looked closer at it to figure it out, woke up.
I don’t believe I ever posted my story but as someone with a similar experience it absolutely crazy what dreams can do to you.
In my case I mwt a highschool sweetheart we traveled the world only to come back to where we met when we were young. My realization of it being fake was that it was a fall day in my dream. I couldn’t hear leaves rustling even though they were there. I woke up not long after that.
The girl in question was someone I never even went to school with. Redhead with freckles and was oddly somewhat taller than me. When it was over there was just this sense of longing.