We’ve all thought about getting even, especially after someone wronged us. Maybe we’ve imagined retribution but never acted on it. However, the stories below feature people who did just that, satisfying their need for revenge.
At a recent middle school reunion, my friend Janice brought up a memory from our Toy Team (TT) project in 7th and 8th grade. The project required students to build and present a toy, but Carlos, a pompous math prodigy, ruined it for us. He bossed us around, insulted my abilities, and ultimately broke the glider we were building.
Frustrated, I ran home crying. My dad, an engineer, devised a plan: Carlos would finish the project alone. Janice and I worked together, perfected the glider, and presented it confidently. Carlos, on the other hand, tried to steal our work but got caught.
He was disqualified and failed the assignment, while Janice and I won Best Design. Watching Carlos fall from his high horse was the sweetest victory.
My dad grew up in the Rust Belt during the 1950s to 1970s when factories were shutting down and crime was on the rise. His hometown became dangerous because the city couldn’t afford to pay police to work weekends. This led to break-ins, with thieves knowing there’d be no police response. My grandpa, a Korean War vet, armed himself for protection.
Later, Dad moved to the city, but when he returned home to help his parents move, his car broke down. He and his friends devised a clever plan to track any potential thieves by rigging a paint-filled tube under his wife’s Mustang. When the car was stolen, they followed the paint trail and retrieved it safely with no injuries—thanks to Grandpa’s intimidating presence and sawed-off shotgun. The thieves fled, and everyone left town soon after.
