Let me share a story... personal experience.

I was once the victim of workplace bullying. This person "C" hated me from the moment I walked in the door, as the newest kid on the block. "C" was a powerful person in the office. Had high-placed friends, and I was told to be careful around her... she had the power to get me reassigned to her shift and get me ousted. I had no power, being new to the office. In her very passive/aggressive way, she tried to make me look bad and incompetent. I couldn't complain, because I had to factor in that she was friends with the managers, and they'd take her side. So I had to suck it in and avoided her when I could. All while she whispered things behind my back, trying to get the office against me.

One day, she announced that she "got a better job" and bragged about it. I was ecstatic, and my suffering came to an end when she left. I stuck it out at the office for years afterwards, earning the trust and respect of the managers. They knew me, and the quality of my work, and they respected me.

Then, some 8-10 years later, "C" wanted to come back. By then, the entire management had turned over, and so did the staff, leaving nobody who had ever known her or worked directly with her... except me (me being in a senior position). The interviewing manager, of course, wanted to know something about this potential recruit, so I was asked to come in and talk to the manager and tell him a little about "C" and what it was like working with her.

She didn't get the job.

And, I kept that story secret for over 10 years afterwards, as long as I remained employed by that company. No telling if she still had friends there. I knew to keep quiet, until the day came when it was time to resign. At the goodbye lunch, which included some of the old-timers who knew her, and also worked with me, I told them the story. Because, at that point, nobody could touch me, and any friends that she might have had there could not ever retaliate.

What I learned: "revenge is a dish best served cold". Not to get explosively angry about being mistreated by a then-powerful person. Bide your time. Because their own arrogance can, and will backfire on them. And sometimes, Providence will place that power into one's own hands... the same hands that were once powerless.

That is why I LOVE reading "The Count of Monte Cristo"!