Extreme break-up reactions

We are all used to 'lovey-dovey' actions put on grand display for the world to see, courtesy of cupid's arrow. But what happens behind closed doors, or worse, in the public domain, when things go sour? Well, that's where relationship reactions come in.

Jasmine Sullivan made her tactics clear when she confessed, "I bust the windows out your car". We found out from a few of our readers just what they did when their relationships hit an iceberg and began it's descent into oblivion.

I found out that my boyfriend of five years had cheated me and did the unthinkable got another girl pregnant. When he told me, I immediately told him that he could go right ahead and be with her. We began arguing. When I told him to leave the house, he refused, so I grabbed his small suitcase, with clothes inside, and carried it downstairs and out to the yard. As the rage boiled to scorching temperatures, I decided then and there to just torch his clothes. He was just standing there waiting for me to calm down when I went outside and lit it up! I couldn't stop crying as I watch the blazing fire. He just kept apologising and saying that he wanted me to be a part of his life. We eventually went inside, where he continued to express regret. I did calm down, but we broke things off. That doesn't stopped him from trying to get me back, but I've moved on.

- S.T., female, 29.

My then boyfriend rang my phone in the wee hours of the night, so naturally, that caused an alarm. But there was a woman on the line. After attacking me with a barrage of derogatory terms, she told me that all along I was actually the side piece and that I needed to stop ruining her family. I asked to speak with him, and he confessed that he was in fact still in love with her and wanted to make it work. Talk about a wake up call! So, I did what any woman would do in that situation - called over my best friend, 'pigged out' on ice cream and popcorn over a love movie while crying my eyes out. A week later, I met with a long-lost love, and thought to myself, 'Why wallow in sorrow over someone who hurt you and no longer wants you? Here is my second chance.'

DRUNK DIALING

Two weeks later, my old flame called to say that he was actually drunk, and when he woke up with his ex beside him, he was embarrassed by what he had done. He checked his call log and saw that he had called me, and his ex told him everything. So, not knowing what to do, he waited a few weeks until the smoke cleared so he could patch things up. He got the shock of his life when I told him I had already moved on and was seeing someone else. It was about time he got a wake-up call - karma is the ultimate revenge.

- P.F., female, 35.

After my boyfriend left the country to pursue his bachelor's degree, I felt completely abandoned and found myself in the company of a friend. I made the mistake once with him, and broke it off immediately after. When my boyfriend returned home, I noticed a change. He was cold towards me, accusing me of having an affair. Weeks later, I confessed to a one-night stand, and it was there I experienced the five stages of grief, vicariously through him. Denial: he denied that he did anything wrong, after cutting off communication for months. Anger: he ended his facebook relationship status, which came up in my feed, and directed everyone to me - asking me what was wrong.

A day later, he called me out of my house to meet him, which I was strongly advised not to do, which was a good thing because he later confessed that I was in for a beat down. Bargaining: after requesting details, he asked if I ever considered his feelings, but admitted that how he behaved while he was away wasn't good, but explained that it was a new country and he had a lot on his plate. Depression: this I encountered in his absence, when he noted he just couldn't speak to me without being sad. And, finally, acceptance: I took a chance when he asked to come over, and he acknowledged while he doesn't condone what I did, he understands why I did it. This roller-coaster ride took place in the span of a week. We reconciled and tried to make it work, but inevitably separated when he returned to his studies abroad.

- D.K., female, 25.