Welcome to Revenge Week

Right now, America runs on revenge at the highest level—and the whole country may pay the price. But the truth is, everyone loves getting even. That’s why this week, we’re featuring stories that lean fully into delicious, chaotic vengeance. We’ll chronicle how it fuels and consumes us, how it succeeds, and how it backfires, from the White House to cheating spouses to that bad boss who totally deserved it. Check back for more stories all week.

Help! I Bullied a Woman in High School. Now She’s Making My Kids Pay the Price.

Emily Yoffe and Danny M. Lavery

I just don’t know what to do.

I Invented Two Tools to Help Me Exact Revenge on Anyone. All You Need Is a Smartphone and a Calendar.

Matthew Dicks

Meet my "Enemies List" and my "I Told You So Calendar."

My Crush Humiliated Me in Front of my Friends. So I Took Revenge People Still Talk About Today.

Kevin Allison

The moment I told him what I was going to do, I was like, “Why did I say that?”

My Deranged Neighbors Did Something Terrible to My Husband. Our Brutal Revenge Made Them Wish They Hadn’t.

Isabelle Kohn

It’s amazing what an eight-hour playlist of hammering sounds can do.

My Boss Was Doing Terrible Things at Work. My Revenge Torched Her Career.

Luke Winkie

Do I feel bad? Not even close.

A Mysterious Network of Revenge Experts Is Quietly Ruining People’s Lives. That’s Entirely the Point.

Christina Cauterucci

Nefarious Jobs can arrange everything from breakups to firings to mortifying public shaming. But the agency won’t do it for just anyone.

My Landlord Screwed Me Over. Years Later, I Got Him Back—100 Times Worse.

Henry Grabar

He took money from me. So I took (way more) money from him.

They Turned Pranks, Hoaxes, and Parody Into Iconic Acts of Revenge. Then Something Got Revenge on Them.

Scaachi Koul

In Trump’s exhausting second term, we need them more than ever. But what happens when your target becomes revenge-proof?

I Got Revenge on My Cheating Wife in the Most … Irritating Way Possible. I Regret It Now. Sometimes.

Luke Winkie

I’m sure I could have found a more mature way to handle it, but this just seemed too good to pass up.

Help! I Pretended to Be My Ex in an Email. It Ruined His Life.

Emily Yoffe and Danny M. Lavery

He probably has no idea what happened.

First the Orcas Did It. Then the Elephants. Then an Octopus. What Are These Animals Up To?

Luke Winkie

Humans can’t be the only petty and vengeful species … can they?

Dog Haters Are Ruining My Dog Park. How Can I Unleash My Revenge?

How To!

A recipe for revenge with one key ingredient: a Google calendar.

Trump’s Driven by Revenge. There’s a Reason Democrats Can’t Figure Out How to Respond.

Ben Mathis-Lilley

Being nice and rational can only get you so far.

When a Man Posted a Compromising Photo of My Daughter Online, I Put My Life on Hold to Get Back at Him. And Oh Boy, Did I.

Christina Cauterucci

At some point, it became so much bigger than her photo. I knew what I had to do.

I’m a Workplace Expert. I Can’t Believe This Is How People Are Exacting Revenge at Work.

Alison Green

These are the best revenge stories I’ve heard in nearly 20 years.

The World’s Deadliest Addiction Is Popping Up on Brain Scans. And It’s Not Even a Drug.

James Kimmel Jr.

There’s a reason our culture is so obsessed with revenge, and it starts in the brain.

I Tried to Get Revenge On a Cruel Ex-Friend. I Found Something So Much More Satisfying.

Isabelle Kohn

Do you have what it takes to settle the score? I don't. And it's kind of amazing.

ICE Has Been Making Life Hell for Local Communities. Now People Are Making Life Hell for Them.

David Mack

As ICE continues their raids, people are fighting back in increasingly creative ways.

I Always Wondered What Would Happen if I Met My Abuser’s New Girlfriend. Then She Confronted Me at the Gym.

Hannah Williams

When I saw him five years later at the gym, I had to make a choice: protect myself, or warn her.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus.