Revenge is a catalyst for change. It is armor for pain. Wear it for a while, do what you need to do. Then, when you have fought your battle, take it off and walk away. Because revenge will change you. But giving in to it for too long can twist you into the thing you hate.

Because we all want you to have your happy ending too.

I loooove this!

There's nothing in the world quite like betrayal. We all know. We've all been there, though some of us have experienced worse betrayals than others.

I would never begrudge someone their desire for revenge. I've gone through so much rage - actual, pure, merciless rage - over some of the things that were done to me, one in specific, which I have told exactly three people ever about, and it took me almost a decade to do it. It was that bad.

So, though I have no idea what the reasons are behind your rage - I understand the desire for revenge. And if it would leave you better off, I would say, "Go ahead, baby. You get yours. You deserve it." But, as some of the commenters above me have said, it will not make you happy. The reason they say "The best revenge is living well" is because if you try to turn around and do what has been done to you, you have to become that person. You have to sink to their level, or lower, and, chances are, that's no place you want to be. I know it's not where I want to be. As much as I wanted to smash my Judas's car windows, key the sides, slash the tires, just take a baseball bat to anything and everything he owned that I could find...I realized that I would have to become someone like him, and I didn't want to be anything like him.

And some people may roll their eyes, or call me a fool, but I believe with all of my heart that he is going to get his someday, and I don't have to lift a finger to make it happen. The justice system here, anywhere on earth, it's flawed, but God's justice is supreme, and I believe that someday everyone who has abused, hurt, or taken advantage of other people will stand before Him someday, and pay the price.

That's my personal belief. It might not be yours. It's not a lot of people's, but it gives me peace, so I wanted to share it, in hopes that it might give you peace too.

Also, excellent choice on the book - and on your deviation - just remember how well it didn't work out in the end for Edmund, and usually does in stories where someone gets their revenge. Peter Parker, for example, in the movie - I don't know about the comics - when he let the burglar get away with that sleazy cage match guy's money, the burglar tried to carjack Peter's uncle, and then killed him. It's not always that severe or direct, but revenge always has a price. Make sure you're willing to pay it.

Keep in mind that Edmund, in the end, admitted himself that he had gone too far, but didn't realize it until it was too late.

Dantes only regrets what becomes of Heloise and her son. He didn't regret what he did to Mondego in the least, and I think that's what this is specifically referencing.

huhuhu. If you read the book, Dantes actually regrets it in the end.

Grudges and revenge will get you nowhere, I know this from personal experience. I literally gave myself headaches and made myself sick as a kid, I used to be able to hold grudges like you wouldn't believe. Finally I realized how pointless it all was. All the people who hurt me, all the people I wanted to tear down, I didn't have to see them if I didn't want to.

Revenge didn't just ruin the people who ruined Edmund. Revenge ruined Edmund a second time. He suffered twice in order to exact revenge once. And the people - the new people - who cared about him suffered, too.

But I like the deviation.

I can respect this its a wonderful plan and I hope you go through with it >

Excellent point.

However, you need to make sure that's what you want to do. Revenge is like the boulder in Indiana Jones; once it gets rolling, it never stops.