TOO often break-ups get nasty, as one or both partners find problems with making a smooth transition from couplehood to being single. It's even worse when the break-up is sudden and unexpected; when there was cheating; or when one partner isn't a willing party to the proceedings.

While it's possible, despite the above, for some persons to go quietly back to the single life, others do some things -- often considered crazy -- as they try to get back at the ex lover who they believe has scorned them. Below we present some stories of break-ups gone wrong, as told by you, our readers.

Panty hustler

I told my live-in ex to move out when I realised that we were no longer compatible. I gave him time to leave, months actually. The deadline came and went and he still looked like he had no intention of going, and he would constantly make references to trying to work things out. I finally told him that I was with someone else and within a couple days he said he had found an apartment. I saw him take up a pair of panties he had bought me, which I didn't have a chance to wear. He put them in his bag and said he was taking it back since I didn't wear it. That was low. I hope he doesn't plan on giving it to someone else. I can't believe I wasted years of my life with someone who would take back panties he bought.

-- Ellie

Constant stalker

A year after our break-up, my ex was still calling and texting. At first I had encouraged it because I thought he needed to vent, and I provided a listening ear for him to talk. The situation got old quickly though, and by three months I was worn out. I couldn't understand why he was taking so long to get over a relationship which had lasted less than a year. So after a year of listening and playing counsellor, I told him that we had to cut all ties. He didn't take it well, needless to say to this day, a year and a half later, he still calls, and prevents me from having another boyfriend by showing up constantly on my dates and even showing up at my office sometimes. I had to take out a protection order.

-- Patrice

He snooped

I was intimate with this man for just a few months when we broke up. It was an amicable break-up, no hard feelings on either of our parts. We acknowledged that we would still be friends, and we continued as friends for a while. We would still go out whenever I was bored and I could call on him to do things around my house. One day though, I was outside and he was supposed to be in my bedroom fixing a shelf that I had broken. I came in to find him going through my drawers, and taking out some of my underwear to stuff in his pockets. When I asked what he was doing, he tried to joke it off, but I was so creeped out, that I stopped talking to him after that.

-- Jada

He crashed the car

I always knew my ex boyfriend was a little high-strung -- he would do things like punch the walls and smash plates when he was angry. He cheated on me so I broke up with him, and I imagined that he would be fine, since I assumed that in cheating, he was giving me a message that he was tired of me. He seemed to accept it at first, and a few weeks later I was in a plaza with a male friend from work when my ex drove his car up. He came so fast, that he hit a median with his car, and totally destroyed some of his front end. Then to make matters worse, even while there was oil and coolant spilling all over the place, all he did was get out, slam the door and proceeded to call me all kinds of names in front of my co-worker. I've never been so embar****ed in my life, but I took much pleasure in the fact that he mashed up his car bad, bad.

-- Natasha

Cry, cry baby

My boyfriend was always super emotional so when we were breaking up I expected him to want to do a lot of soul searching. But I didn't expect him to cry real tears when I told him, which was inside a restaurant in the middle of the lunch crowd. There we were sitting and when I told him I needed space he burst out crying. Few people started snickering, some of the men laughed, but my ex did nothing but continue wailing, even getting down on his knees and proposing. It was so embar****ing, especially since it was a place that I always ate at and there was snot and all that kinda stuff. After that experience, I found a new lunch spot.

-- Lisa