This Redditor that goes by u/lizzthefirst sensed that her boyfriend of 4 years was a cheater, and when it all became crystal clear, she finally decided to call it quits. The thing is, though, letting someone off after they’ve wronged us doesn’t always bring the closure we need, so is there a better way to achieve it than wreaking an act of innocent but satisfying revenge?  

Couple calls it quits after woman discovers that her boyfriend of 4 years had an affair

Despite their separation, the man continues to use the PlayStation account his ex paid for

“Cheat on me? Good luck using your account” – this internet user took to one of Reddit’s most vengeful communities to tell its members a tale about the time she got back at her cheating boyfriend. The post managed to garner 7K upvotes as well as 492 comments praising the author and discussing the blatant audacity of some men. 

If you’ve ever been in a romantic relationship, or perhaps currently are in one, then you understand the struggles that come with the commitment. We’re all human beings that handle things differently, and when two people unite, for it to really work out, you need to learn how to navigate the challenges well.

Infidelity, intimacy (and not just the sexual aspect of it), conflicts, lack of communication, mistrust, war of chores, Netflix cheating, random piles of socks all over the house, whatever – no matter how big or trivial the issue might seem, even the “strongest” connection is bound to face some troubles at one point or another.

Now, there are a million and one ways to help build and maintain that universally sought-after healthy relationship – however, there’s always a “but,” and when it comes to romance, trying to mend something when your other half isn’t interested will only rob you of your precious time.

The woman reaches out to him, hoping to sort it out peacefully – however, the guy chooses to go another way

The author of today’s post, for instance, was in a happy relationship for four years. The “good guy,” though, decided to go off the rails and cause the woman some significant distress in the last year of their life together. The thing is, he met his mistress at a local church and eventually started bringing her to family events. The netizen tried to be OK with it, convincing herself that she was just a friend – yet, we all know how it ended.

The couple had finally broken things off, but sometimes letting someone off after they’ve taken you for a fool this easily doesn’t bring any satisfaction, and that’s why the OP decided to resort to some small-scale but nevertheless effective revenge.

It turns out the cheater in question is a big gamer boy. The Redditor even got him a PS4 for Christmas and paid for and set up their accounts. But what the guy didn’t make a big note of was that his account was under the “child” setting, meaning that his now ex-girlfriend had full control. When the two separated, he continued to play the games, and when he was told to stop, blatantly refused, provoking the woman to lock him out.

Some might argue that the so-called retaliation is not even a retaliation – however, considering how he was (and maybe even still is) an unemployed freeloader, chances are it did strike a nerve.

When he refuses to stop playing, the author takes none of it and locks him out as petty payback

To get a more professional outlook on the situation, Bored Panda decided to reach out to an expert! Laurel Steinberg is a relationship therapist who works with individuals and couples and has been in practice for almost 15 years; she’s also a clinical sexologist and treats sexual dysfunction along with more general relationship issues. 

First things first, we asked Laurel what to do when a partner is unfaithful: “Confront your partner and find out if what you believe is true. Ask why this happened, what this meant to them, how they feel now, and also share how you feel about finding this out.”

BP then pondered if a relationship can be repaired after cheating, and if so, how: “Absolutely, yes, if both partners want it to be repaired. By determining why the relationship went off the rails, partners can figure out how to get back on track as well as how to prevent problems in the future. In a few months, with honest communication, a meaningful apology, and a promise to never go astray again, along with an enjoyable time together, trust can be built back up…but the repair isn’t linear and the person who was cheated on can have anxiety that pops up often during the healing process.” 

Last but not least, we asked if revenge is ever a good idea, to which our specialist replied: “I don’t think revenge is a good idea — because you never know how the person could retaliate and you don’t want to feel bad about having sunk to that level. Let the shame they feel about having violated their partner’s trust be their punishment. I promise it will hurt.”

Finally, Laurel added: “Infidelity is a very common experience that happens at rates that are highly underreported. With the help of a caring therapist, most couples can recover…if they both want to!”

The moral of the story, do what you feel is right – however, maybe, just maybe, hold off from wreaking any large-scale vengeance on those who have wronged you.

But what is your take on this situation? Do you believe in revenge?

Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions on the matter