Just how far can someone go to make their ex’s life a living hell? Well, in some cases, it involves taking the house with everything in it and draining the bank accounts. Throw in some infidelity, betrayal, and petty power moves, and you’ve got a recipe for a messy mess. From seizing keys to denying custody, this story is all about calculated cruelty.

One netizen shared a story about how her group of friends found themselves caught in the middle of a situation where the lines between petty and outright cruel blurred. Their friend decided to make her ex-husband’s life hell, and they were not about to stick around for the show.

More info: Mumsnet

Cheating and divorce go together like peanut butter and jelly—if jelly were bitter and left you broke

Image credits: Helena Lopes / Pexels (not the actual photo)

One woman decides to cut ties with her friend after she starts bragging about taking all her ex-husband’s money and not allowing him to see his kids

Image credits: jadeycakes666

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman confesses to her friends that she took everything from her husband, including money, the house, and the car, and plans to make him pay spousal and child support

Image credits: jadeycakes666

Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman posted an update saying the man left the house himself for the sake of the kids, and that the money the ex took was actually only in his name

Image credits: jadeycakes666

The woman cuts ties with her friend after she finds out she lied about the situation with her ex and continued to brag about being cruel to him

Our storyteller recently went to what should’ve been a nice, laid-back lunch with friends. You know, casual chats about life, love, and maybe some mild gossip. But no—one of the squad members had other plans. Let’s call her Drama Queen Debbie because, honestly, the shoe fits.

Debbie’s love life had already been the stuff of tabloid headlines: a 19-year marriage down the drain after an affair with her husband’s friend. The rebound? Didn’t last long. Then came a brief and predictably unsuccessful reconciliation attempt with her husband. And now? Well, Debbie’s taken “scorched earth” to a whole new level.

Last summer, Debbie dropped hot news in the group chat: she’d kicked her husband out—or so she said—taken his keys and told him to hit the road because she just “couldn’t stand him being miserable.” Excuse you, Debbie? The man was miserable because his wife cheated, stole his friend, and then decided to evict him. The audacity is just next level.

Debbie didn’t stop there. When her ex-husband moved into a hotel, she refused to let the kids stay with him, claiming it wasn’t stable enough. Fair point, you might think. But, when he got a new place, she conveniently shifted the goalposts, saying it wasn’t furnished enough for the kids. Keep in mind that she kept the house, the car, and every stick of furniture. The dude basically had just the shirt on his back.

Oh, but it gets even worse. Debbie raided their joint bank account, withdrawing £22,000, which is roughly $27k, and laughingly told her ex it was “for the kids.” And surprisingly, he didn’t even complain. This guy deserves a medal for his tolerance, or at least a very strong drink.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

But, the pièce de résistance in all this? Debbie served her ex divorce papers and was giddy about demanding full spousal maintenance. Why? Not because she needed it but to ensure he could never financially recover or meet someone new. Her words, not mine. It seems that Debbie’s playbook has a whole chapter on financial abuse.

You know, financial abuse isn’t just about emptying a joint account, though that’s a classic move. It’s about controlling someone’s ability to access money, using things like custody arrangements as leverage, or ensuring they’re so financially dependent they can’t rebuild their life.

Debbie’s actions pretty much scream “power play,” and that’s a very good reminder that abuse isn’t always physical. For anyone dealing with this, seeking legal advice and documenting every transaction can be a game-changer. Those receipts might just come in handy one day.

After seeing how proud Debbie was of her cruelty, one friend finally snapped, calling her behavior “extremely insane.” Debbie, being Debbie, didn’t take it well. She stormed off and left the group chat faster than you can say “red flag.” Now, her friends are stuck in a moral quandary: support her despite her increasingly toxic antics, or distance themselves and risk being labeled “the bad guys?”

But here’s the thing—the pros say that people who are manipulative, exploit others without guilt or shame, and have an inflated sense of self might be narcissists. People with Narcissistic Personality Disorder might act out when they feel slighted, using cruel tactics to regain a sense of control or superiority.

Debbie’s checklist of antics—revenge, public bragging, and zero remorse—could hint at some narcissistic tendencies. While it’s not a diagnosis (let’s leave that to the professionals), understanding the signs can help her friends navigate this mess. Pro tip: setting boundaries with someone like Debbie is crucial, but maybe also invest in noise-canceling headphones for the inevitable drama.

What do you think? Are Debbie’s friends right to call her out, or should they just let her spiral solo? Let us know in the comments!

People in the comments say the woman’s friend sounds like a horrible person and advise her to end the relationship

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