Ran Into Your Ex? 8 Awkward and Surprising Stories About Chance Encounters With Former Flames

Running into an ex can be an awkward and emotional experience, especially if the breakup was messy or feelings still linger. Even if the relationship ended amicably, it can still be jarring to unexpectedly see your ex out in public.

We asked people to share their stories of unexpectedly encountering their exes out in the wild. From grocery stores to weddings, here are 8 of the most awkward, emotional, and downright bizarre stories of bumping into an ex.

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1. Grocery Store Run-In Leads to Mixed Emotions

For one Reddit user, running into his ex of 3 years at the grocery store brought up a swirl of emotions. After 10 years apart, he was shocked to see her looking almost exactly as he remembered.

They chatted briefly, sharing pictures of their kids and commiserating over gray hairs and wrinkles. While it was nice to catch up, the encounter also brought up bittersweet feelings from the past. Mike ended up abandoning his cart and leaving the store, unsure how to process the wave of nostalgia and regret.

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2. Ex Crashes Wedding Reception

When a Reddit user attended his friend’s wedding, he was surprised to see his ex get extremely drunk and try to make out with him. To make matters more awkward, the bride and maid of honor encouraged him to “screw her in the limo.”

Despite the temptation, they managed to extricate himself from the messy situation without getting involved. He may have dodged a bullet by not hooking up with his sloppy drunk ex at a wedding!

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3. Airport Run-In After Years Apart

After moving to different cities and losing touch for 6 years, one Reddit user had a chance encounter with her high school ex at an airport 200 miles away. She didn’t expect to ever see him again, so it was incredibly shocking to literally stumble into each other.

They were able to get closure and wish each other well before he sadly passed away from a brain tumor shortly after. This story shows how a surprise run-in can provide an opportunity for closure.

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4. Ex Tries to Stage Elaborate Reunion

When one Reddit user’s ex spotted him across the grocery store, she tried to orchestrate an awkward reunion. She waved at family members to get their attention before dramatically running over in tears to hug and kiss him.

However, her over-the-top performance fell flat when her husband and kid looked bored rather than jealous. This cringe-worthy tale teaches that trying excessively to make an ex jealous often backfires.

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5. Vengeful Ex Crashes Party

After a Reddit user skipped a group trip to avoid his ex, she crashed their party and went on a drunken tirade. She revealed embarrassing details about their sex life and falsely accused him of rape in front of all their friends.

This mortifying story shows that exes can go to extreme lengths to seek revenge post-breakup. They were able to move on after this final confirmation that she was toxic.

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6. A Movie-Worthy Meet-Cute

One Reddit user described an emotional chance reunion between two exes at a grocery store. After 10 years apart, they had a sweet and slightly awkward encounter reminiscing about the past and comparing gray hairs.

The poetic description of this bittersweet reunion was so touching it could be straight out of a romantic comedy. This meet-cute shows how the passing of time can change once fraught relationships into something nostalgic.

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7. Vengeful Ex Gets Comeuppance

When one user left her adulterous ex-husband, she worried he had gotten away with it. But a year later, she saw him yelled at by his mistress in public, looking haggard and aged.

Seeing that karma had caught up helped her find closure. This story shows that vengeance often backfires on the perpetrator.

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8. Horribly Awkward Double Run-In

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One Reddit user encountered not one but two exes when he went out for pizza with his new girlfriend. Running into the messy ex was bad enough, but then his even more disastrous ex-ex started approaching them!

To escape with his dignity intact, Audax resorted to dramatically storming out of the restaurant. This cringe-worthy tale proves that zeroing in on your date is the best strategy to survive awkward encounters.

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The Takeaway: Expect A Rollercoaster of Emotions

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As these wide-ranging stories show, there’s no telling what will happen when you cross paths with an ex. It may lead to closure, reignite old feelings, or turn into an embarrassing spectacle.

The unpredictability means you should brace yourself for an emotional rollercoaster. But with grace and maturity, the encounter can become a valuable chance for closure or to appreciate how far you’ve come.