We often hear sayings about revenge—revenge is sweet, revenge is a dish best served cold, or it’s better to get even. However, not all of us encounter the opportunity for such sweet revenge.
Sometimes we don’t have the chance or perhaps the know-how to seek revenge. There’s also the concern of repercussions, which could make everything backfire.
That’s why we’re sharing some of the most destructive revenge stories that people have experienced. You can live vicariously through these tales!
Don’t Pay Me for My Work? Get Your Car Towed
“I had been hired as a day laborer for a few days to break down an old concrete driveway. Armed with a sledgehammer, I had to break the concrete into manageable chunks, wheelbarrow them to a dumpster, and deposit them. It was backbreaking work, but I needed the job and the money. I was working with another older guy.
On the way downtown, he informed me that I wasn’t getting paid because the other worker had told him I didn’t work well and took too many breaks. I was furious. I had worked hard and expected to be compensated.
When we arrived downtown, he parked the pickup truck in a lot and barely said goodbye. As a teenager, I didn’t have the courage to argue. After he left, I stayed around for a few minutes to make sure he was gone.
I opened the truck’s hood and removed the coil wire from the distributor to the ignition coil. Without that wire, the truck could never start. I threw the wire far away, hidden where it would never be found.
Perhaps he came back and tried to start the truck. Maybe he saw the missing coil wire but didn’t know how to fix it. Even if he replaced the coil wire with a spark plug wire, the truck would run poorly on only five out of six cylinders.
I like to think he had no idea what was wrong and ultimately paid for towing and repairs that cost about what he owed me in wages.”
Lying Ex Can’t Pay Her Bills Anymore
“My ex stole all my stuff and lied to get a temporary restraining order against me after being exposed in front of her parents and friends.
I reported her to the police, and she was called out at her work. There, she was outed as a liar and a thief. She fabricated stories and had my guns taken away before I was supposed to move out of Hawaii. She also took all the supplies I had bought for a few months.
I was advised to let it go, but it was the principle of the matter. Nearly a year after moving, I checked our joint account and found it was still open, with her direct deposits going into it. I monitored the account for a few months to understand her deposit and bill patterns.
One day, I closed the account right after her direct deposit and before her rent and car payments were due. I knew she was living paycheck to paycheck. I received no less than 25 blocked calls and threats afterward. I left that day and laughed all the way home. Her best friend even called and wondered why she kept the account open, thinking it was foolish of her.”
Steal Loads of Jewelry? I’ll Steal Your Inheritance
“Twenty-five years ago, my aunt passed away when I was a baby, leaving my two cousins, both in their early 20s, to fend for themselves. My wealthy grandparents put a clause in their will stating grandkids would receive half their inheritance if a parent passed before the children were 30, with the remaining half when my grandparents eventually passed.
My cousins received sizeable inheritances. The younger wisely paid off her college loans and bought property. The older blew his inheritance within six years and was back to living in a condo, working as a police officer.
Everyone knew he had substance issues and was barely making ends meet. For the next four years, he went to rehab three times, sponsored by my grandparents. He sobered up after his partner, now wife, got pregnant. She saw my grandparents as a payday and locked him in with three kids. They always needed financial help, and my grandparents always lent a hand.
My father, mother, sister, and I got sick of it. My grandmother passed away when I was 17, leaving my grandfather as the last remaining grandparent. I was undoubtedly my grandpa’s favorite, which caused tension with my cousin and his wife. I moved in with my grandpa to keep him company.
They hated this and sabotaged me whenever they could. One day, my cousin placed a noisemaker in my room, which my German shepherd eventually found. This harassment continued until one of the kids allegedly found my gun. I kept my firearms locked safely, but my cousin loaded it and staged it for my grandfather to find. My cousin, a cop, scolded me for gun safety and threatened to have me arrested. I had to leave.
His plan seemed successful. But a month later, my grandfather died of a heart attack at 86. I was devastated. I tried to rebuild trust with grandpa, but his untimely death left me unsure of what kind of man he perceived me to be.
Immediately, my cousin and his wife began sucking up to my dad. But then came the will reading. There was a clause: ‘if anyone attempts to claim any part of the estate not assigned to them, they forfeit any assets, which would be divided among remaining family members.’ My father was to receive the physical property.
The revenge.
I called my cousin, telling him grandma’s jewelry was to be donated. He couldn’t resist and headed over to our grandparents’ house to snatch some. Coincidentally, my dad and the lawyer arrived to see several shoeboxes of jewelry piled up. My cousin entered with the final shoebox, realizing I set him up.
Despite receiving half his inheritance previously, he felt wronged because our grandparents’ wealth had grown. His younger sister had no problems and mourned our grandfather like the rest of us.
My cousin lost everything over greed in 30 minutes. His wife filed for divorce weeks later, and we haven’t heard from him in nearly six years. Although it’s somewhat a fairytale ending, I’d rather have my grandparents back.”
