Petty Revenge or Poetic Justice? When Your Abusive Ex Ends Up Begging for Change
There’s a special place in the universe for those “full circle” moments—the kind where life hands you an opportunity so poetic, you can’t help but wonder if the karma gods are scripting your reality. That’s exactly what happened to Reddit user u/TheOnlyRealAsshat, who ran into their abusive, alcoholic ex on the streets of LA… holding a cardboard sign and begging for change.
Not only did OP (as we’ll call them) recognize their ex, but they also seized the chance to deliver perhaps the pettiest ten-dollar bill in Los Angeles history—along with a zinger that left Redditors both applauding and cringing.
But is this a story of justified revenge, or a cautionary tale about how pain can linger long after the relationship ends? Pull up a seat: this is one wild ride through heartbreak, homelessness, and the high drama that is r/PettyRevenge.
Let’s set the scene. OP met their future ex in Idaho, got swept up in romance, and even moved to LA for her. But once back in her hometown, she fell back in with “loser friends,” started drinking heavily, and became abusive. When OP refused to fund her alcohol habit, she kicked him out—leaving him homeless in the notorious labyrinth that is LA. Fast forward to today: OP has rebuilt his life, found a home, and then—karma strikes. There she is, their ex, looking worse for wear and asking strangers for change.
Instead of walking by, OP makes a beeline, hands her a ten, and says, “here's that alcohol money you kicked me out for.” Cue the expletives hurled at OP’s back as he walks away. But as OP notes, she shut up quick when she realized she could buy booze.
The Reddit crowd, as always, did not hold back. The top comment by u/UnlikelyLeague8589 summed up the conflicted vibe: “I’m all for petty revenge but this is just sad.” Others echoed the sentiment, pointing out that addiction is a disease, and that seeing anyone so far gone is heartbreaking. But OP was quick to clap back: “If you knew her you wouldn't feel bad at all.” According to OP, this wasn’t just a messy breakup—this was physical and emotional abuse, homelessness, and years of fallout.
That context split the comments into two passionate camps. On one side: those who believe forgiveness is the only way forward. u/1andOnlyMaverick offered sage advice: “Forgiveness isn’t just for the other person… it’s for you too. Carrying around all that pain and hate just eats you up from the inside.” Others expanded on the idea, likening anger to poison. “Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick,” wrote u/Acar0n.
But not everyone bought into the zen mindset. As u/jokerwithnomakeup pointed out, “I don’t think this applies to abuse… he was physically and emotionally abused and he should just forgive her to be the bigger person? Let him be angry.” Another commenter, u/Contrantier, went further: “Forgiveness doesn’t have to be ‘for yourself’ when you don’t need it to be happy. That’s just something judgmental people say because they don’t believe they would be capable of moving on without forgiving. They’re projecting that perceived self-weakness onto others.”
The debate raged on, with some users sharing their own stories of abusive exes, homelessness, and eventual healing. One particularly poignant tale came from u/beah_mcduh, who had a similarly rough breakup and later spotted their ex panhandling. “She looked rough, dirty and strung out… I texted my friend that had mentally supported me during that time. We had a laugh and then I never saw her there again.”
Other commenters questioned whether giving money to a struggling addict was the right move. “What you should have done and said was ‘this is what your life has become, begging for scraps from people, pathetic’ then walk away,” suggested u/Maleficentendscurse. OP, ever the aficionado of snark, replied, “I like being clever when I'm making a statement.”
Of course, not everything was so serious. Some comments brought levity to the thread: “Maybe: ‘here’s a ten spot—a few chugs should help all this misery you’ve got… bottled up…’” joked u/Minute-Telephone7125. And in classic Reddit fashion, username-related humor made an appearance: “Username checks out,” quipped u/wannaplayspace.
But beneath the jokes and jabs, the story tapped into a deeper question: What do we owe our abusers when life deals them a bad hand? Is it wrong to feel satisfaction when karma finally catches up? Or does true healing come from walking away—ten dollars richer or not?
As OP summed it up in the comments: “She used to give me black eyes when all I did was try to help her and love her. I did not deserve that and I wish she was in fucking jail honestly.” For OP, the petty revenge wasn’t about holding onto hate—it was about reclaiming a small piece of power after years of being powerless.
So, what do you think? Is this story a satisfying slice of poetic justice, or evidence that revenge (even the petty kind) never truly heals old wounds? Would you have handed over the ten with a quip, kept walking, or maybe done something completely different?
Share your thoughts below—because if Reddit teaches us anything, it’s that no two stories (or comment sections) are ever the same.
Original Reddit Post: I Saw My Ex Begging for Change: