The Pettiest Breakup Scavenger Hunt: How One Redditor Hid Memories in Her Avoidant Ex’s Stuff
Breaking up is rarely a neat affair, especially when your ex leaves behind not just emotional baggage, but literal, physical baggage cluttering your home. For one Redditor, u/Front-Imagination414, this post-breakup mess became the perfect playground for some expert-level petty revenge. Instead of a dramatic confrontation or a tearful goodbye, she orchestrated something far more memorable—and, as it turns out, wildly entertaining to thousands of Reddit users.
He lied. He cheated. He hired sex workers while in previous relationships. After finally breaking things off with her avoidant partner, OP was left with a house full of his stuff—and a mountain of shared memorabilia she had no intention of keeping. Her solution? Hide every last photo and memory in his belongings, creating a future scavenger hunt guaranteed to haunt him for years. The internet, predictably, had thoughts.
A Breakup, a Betrayal, and a Board Game Bonanza
Let’s set the stage: You’ve dumped a liar and cheater. He’s not even courteous enough to pick up his own things, sending someone else instead. But what to do with all those photobooth snapshots, inside jokes, and mementos from a relationship you’d rather forget? For OP, the answer was obvious—send them all back, but with a twist.
She didn’t just toss those memories in a box. She meticulously hid photos inside board games, at the bottom of bags, tucked between manuals, and buried in moving boxes. As she gleefully wrote, “Some are really hidden it will probably take a long time to find them.” Imagine opening your favorite game months later, only to find a snapshot from your ex peeking out between the dice and the rules. As u/wolfwing cheekily pointed out, “Some day, he and his new partner will pull a board game out to play, and half way through the game they say 'Honey, who is this with you in this picture?'” Talk about an awkward roll of the dice.
The Petty Genius of the Scavenger Hunt
The beauty of this revenge is its subtlety. No property destroyed, nothing illegal, just a lingering uncertainty that will gnaw at the ex for years. Will he ever be sure he’s found every last memento? As OP herself noted in the comments, “Just the thought that he’ll be paranoid if he finally got EVERYTHING I hid is enough for me. Well, good luck!”
Redditors loved the idea. u/GodivaPlaistow summed it up: “That’s the best part. He will never, ever be sure. Brilliant.” Others called it “picture perfect” (thanks, u/CoderJoe1) and “iconic” (shoutout to u/Slight-Book2296). The community consensus? Petty, yes. But also absolutely hilarious—and, dare we say, a little bit inspiring for anyone who’s had to clean up an ex’s mess.
There’s even a karmic undertone here, as u/astearq quoted Stevie Nicks: “You’ll never get away from the sound of a woman that loved you.” Another commenter, u/Southern_Designer433, mused, “Let’s say they can run from conflict, but they can’t outrun the fact that someone’s genuinely loved them.” The scavenger hunt isn’t just revenge—it’s a reminder, however unwanted, of love lost.
Community Takes: Laughter, Sympathy, and a Dash of Debate
Not everyone saw it as harmless fun. A few critics questioned whether this level of pettiness crossed a line. “Honestly have to feel like he really dodged a bullet after reading this,” wrote u/flyjxn, only to be swiftly rebuffed by others (“shut it, incel.”). A handful called it “stalker-ish,” but those voices were far outnumbered by the choir of support, laughter, and camaraderie.
The thread became a confessional of breakup pettiness. One commenter, u/BrilliantPie2566, recounted hiding a steak in their ex’s moving boxes, hoping it would rot and attract flies. Another, u/Wonderful_Light9963, admitted to stuffing old ice cream and potting soil into an ex’s clothes. The consensus? Sometimes a little bit of mischief is just what the heartbreak doctor ordered.
Crucially, OP’s revenge didn’t destroy anything. As u/Reasonable-Penalty43 put it, “You are not destroying any of his things. You are just giving him a scavenger hunt!” And what a devious hunt it will be, with the possibility that his next partner, roommates, or even future children might stumble upon those relics of romance.
The Last Laugh (and the Last Photo)
At the end of the day, petty revenge isn’t about grand gestures or epic destruction. It’s about reclaiming a little control, having a laugh, and making sure your ex never quite escapes your memory—literally. The genius of OP’s scavenger hunt is that it’s low-stakes, high-impact, and endlessly re-playable. Who knows how many years her ex will be finding reminders of a love gone sour?
So, next time you’re left with an ex’s stuff after a breakup, take a page from u/Front-Imagination414: Get a little creative, have some fun, and remember—you’re not just cleaning house. You’re leaving a legacy.
Have you ever plotted (or executed) a petty revenge on an ex? Share your stories in the comments below! And if you’re the recipient of a breakup scavenger hunt, may the odds be ever in your favor.
Original Reddit Post: Finally broke it off with an avoidant partner