17 Breakup Stories That Prove the Best Revenge Is Living Well

A breakup is not the end of the world. The heroines of this article handled breakups gracefully. They didn’t let themselves get discouraged and took action. Some finally went on a dream trip, others found true love and wrote a book, and some others even managed to cleverly get back at their exes. The main thing is that each heroine started a vibrant new chapter in her life.

• I got married last week. It was a modest ceremony with close friends and family; we signed the papers and celebrated. Then my husband and I flew off on a vacation.
  Yesterday, my ex sent me a message: “Alright, I’ve seen your wedding showoff. Felt a bit jealous, so you can come back to me now — I’m ready.” Sometimes I am amazed by how highly some people think of themselves. I blocked him and continued enjoying my honeymoon. © Caramel / VK
• After breaking up with my boyfriend, I couldn’t get back on track for a week. Then my friend showed up and said, “We’re going on a vacation. No excuses.” We grabbed a last-minute tour to Egypt — the blues vanished instantly. We lounged on the beach, went diving to see the corals.
  Naturally, I posted the photos online. My ex immediately messaged, asking who I was with and where. I replied, “That’s none of your business anymore,” and I felt so relieved. I realized I was free, could do whatever I wanted, and owed no explanations to anyone.
• My husband cheated, so I filed for divorce. He suddenly changed his tune and claimed it was his decision to leave. It infuriated me. 3 days ago, he was crying at my feet, and now he’s saying it was his choice. I planned to part amicably, not claiming anything except his 1/5 share in the apartment.
  In the end, I divided all our assets according to the law, and now he even has to pay alimony. I know it hit him hard financially. When friends tell me about his complaints, I just shrug and say it was his decision to leave. © Overheard / Ideer

• Once in May, I set aside a whole day for various beauty treatments: a manicure-pedicure, esthetician, and so on. That same morning, by a great coincidence, I broke up with my boyfriend. Well, I wasn’t going to cancel all my appointments just because 2 adults decided not to be together anymore.
  I went for the manicure and firmly decided that I would cry afterward. I had exactly an hour before seeing the esthetician. But I left the nail technician later than planned, traffic jams, and so on, so I didn’t have time.
  After that, I rushed to get my brows and lashes done urgently. After that, I thought surely I’d come home and have a good cry. “Don’t get your lashes wet for a few hours after the procedure,” my beautician instructed me.
  I came home, turned on a good comedy movie, and honestly waited a few hours to let my emotions out. But they passed along with the urge to cry. Breakups after 35—they’re like that. You don’t even have time to cry, and you don’t really need to. © dalida_b
• My boyfriend and I lived together for 3 years. He’d transfer money for groceries and little treats. Then I caught him cheating and told him to get out. He didn’t even flinch. He just smiled and said, “Are you sure? Go ahead, check your app.”
  I opened the app, and under each of his card transfers was the word “loan!” And he declared, “If you don’t want any trouble, you’ll pay me back all the money I’ve spent on you for these 3 years!” I was shocked. Tolerating infidelity didn’t make any sense, but paying back for food we both ate—that’s just nonsense!
  In the end, I secretly recorded him on my phone, confirming that these were our shared expenses. With this evidence, he couldn’t do anything anymore.

• One day, my mom and I went to a concert in another city. There was a restaurant with a terrace across the venue, so we decided to sit there before the concert. We enter, I go to the restroom, and I run into familiar faces.
  It turns out my ex was celebrating his wedding in the banquet hall. His guests thought I had come deliberately to spoil the wedding and stood guard at the entrance to the hall. Well, what did we do? We sat in the restaurant, laughed about the situation, and went on to enjoy the concert. © valerya066
• At some point, my ex told me this, “You know, I think I might not love you anymore... I don’t know, I can’t decide. You need to do something to rekindle my feelings.”
  And at that moment, I realized: I’m the only one working in our relationship, the household depends on me too, and yet I have to do something more? Suddenly, I saw him—not a genius, not a billionaire, and not a philanthropist. He is lying on the couch and thinks he should be loved just the way he is, and I have to earn his love.
  I thought, “All right, I’ll do something,” and packed his things, and kicked him out of my apartment. He kept coming back for a month, complaining, crying, and cursing. But he did nothing to rekindle any feelings in me. © Karamel / VK
• We did ballroom dancing together for 3 years, then he had an issue with his knee. He healed up, and we continued dancing together. All this time he liked me, but to me, he was a friend.
  6 months later, I had a knee injury and needed surgery. We started dating, and I slowly recovered. He went to training in another city and didn’t write to me at all.
  He returned cold, barely spoke to me. He cancelled our meeting at the last minute, saying he got sick. The same day, my friend calls and tells me he’s trying to pair up with a new girl. You should have seen my meltdown! We argued and broke up after that.
  3 months later, I fully recovered. Soon after, I found a new partner, nailed the whole routine in a week, and entered the tournament. My ex was also there with the new girl who he had danced with for about 6 months.
  We completed the first round, and I saw that they didn’t make it to the next round, but we did. I was so happy because I proved I was better. And he just lost it and walked out. © lova / TikTok

• Started dating his competitor, who’s more influential than he is. For some reason, he’s jealous. © marina_birquine
• My ex dumped me, saying I was holding him back in his work, supposedly dragging him down. I didn’t cry for long and quickly found a man who proposed to me.
  My career also skyrocketed because I no longer spent my energy and nerves on endless arguments. And my ex is still at his old job. Friends showed me his profile on a dating site, so he hasn’t found a woman to motivate him to great deeds either.
  One night he texted me, “I’m very sorry I hurt you. If I could, I’d take it all back. Are you happy now?” I replied, “Yes, very much. How about you?” He didn’t fake it and admitted, “Not really.”

• My boyfriend and I went to his friend’s wedding. There are a lot of waiting rooms there, and we walked into the first one. I’m all dressed up, looking lovely, and with my boyfriend, and there stands my ex-boyfriend with his bride (he was getting married that same day).
  To say he was stunned would be an understatement. I waved at him, and he nervously adjusted his tie. When everyone went outside to wait for the cars, he was hiding in the bushes. © l_lena_lena
• My boyfriend and I lived together for 5 years. I had a decent job and earned a good income. He occasionally asked, “Hey, could you give me some cash, and I’ll transfer it back to your card.”
  Then one day I caught him chatting with some girl. I said, “That’s it, goodbye!” And suddenly he claims that for all these 5 years he was lending me money and demands it all back, down to the last penny! We’re talking over $10,000 accumulated in 5 years!
  I said to him, “Are you out of your mind? I gave you cash!” But the heart wants revenge! In the end, he was left with nothing, but I still don’t know if it was worth all the nerves I spent on it. So, girls, remember: no ring, no relationship!
• My revenge looks like this: I became happy. I’m in a happy relationship for 7 years now, and the first line of my book isn’t dedicated to him. I think that’s the best revenge. But I did it for myself.
  Here’s what I wrote in the book: “To my husband Nick: once you took the risk to change your life and built it in the best way possible. Know that without your unconditional love, this book would never have come to life.” © tanya.saveleva_

• My ex hired me as a photographer for his wedding. I shot it in the best way I could, though it’s a pity I didn’t charge double. They booked me through a relative, so I didn’t realize until the last moment whose wedding it was. © mashahagie
• Recently broke up with my boyfriend; we were together for 8 years. When we moved my things to a new place, it hit me—this is the end. I decided to calmly make it to the apartment without falling apart right in the elevator. I walked into the apartment and silently began unpacking my suitcase.
  I was ready to burst into tears, but as I hung my shirt in the closet, I realized how huge it was. This closet was now all mine. I suddenly felt so easy because I was free and didn’t have to share the shelves in the closet. © bus1nkaa

• I gave myself time to grieve, and then I started living life as if he was never part of it: new acquaintances, travels, new hobbies. Later, it turned out he was quite upset with me for not trying to win him back. By the way, he was the one who initiated the breakup. © nkozzzlova
• We were together for 12 years, and he cheated on me with a woman while on a business trip. After the divorce, I deliberately bought trips to the places he dreamt of visiting, but his dreams were never meant to come true. Now, I’m in a happy relationship and living with a man by the sea—every day is sunshine and good vibes. © Lilyyyyy / TikTok

After reading the article, we want to say, “Whatever happens, happens for the best.” The heroines of these stories decided not to cling to the past and didn’t allow themselves to be hurt—their resilience is truly amazing.

What was your most beautiful “closure” moment in a relationship? Did you blossom after a divorce, or did you also receive the message “I’m ready to take you back” at the most inconvenient moment? Share your stories in the comments!

And these couples prove that real relationships are funnier than any sitcom.