A Twitter user wrote: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," after seeing a now-viral newspaper advert that has captured attention around the world.
According to an article published by Professor of Social Science Andrew Greeley in 1994, 70 percent of married Americans will cheat at least once in their marriage. But one woman has stunned the internet with her unusual solution to getting her own back on a cheating partner.
Newspaper Mackay and Whitsunday Life ran an advert in its Friday edition sharing an unusual message with its 50,000 readers in Queensland, Australia.
A woman named Jenny commissioned the full-page ad to be placed on page 4 of the paper. It reads:
"Dear Steve,
I hope you are happy with her.
Now the whole town will know what a filthy cheater you are.
From Jenny.
P.S. I bought this ad using your credit card."
The well-placed advert didn't just reach locals, having received thousands of views around the world when the woman's message to her now presumably ex-partner was shared online.
A statement on the Mackay and Whitsunday Life website said: "As soon as the newspaper hit the stands, we were inundated with calls from the community."
In a post on Facebook, the paper clarified: "1. We do NOT know who Steve is, but apparently, he's been very very bad. 2. We won't be revealing any details about Jenny. 3. We have not charged the credit card in question."
One eagle-eyed internet user even did some digging to find out just how much an advert in the Mackay and Whitsunday Life costs, revealing on Twitter that the average bill for a full page like the one bought by Jenny would be around $550-$1,000.
On Facebook, people from around Australia and the rest of the world were quick to comment.
"Not all heroines wear capes. Jenny is my new favorite person," said one person.
Another wrote: "Jenny's a legend!! I wish I'd thought of this!"
Others were quick to ensure they were absolved of any connection to the advert. One Facebook user said: "Lots of Steve's getting the nervous side-eye," while a commenter called Steve insisted: "I'm not the Steve."
"Wow, you didn't charge the credit card?" asked another person of the newspaper: "Are you doing this as a public service for everyone else now?"
While many were busy thinking about if they knew a Steve or a Jenny, others were not convinced that the advert was legitimate.
"This has PR stunt written all over it," said one viewer of the viral image. Another commenter wrote: "Best piece of PR I have come across in a while…Well done guys."
Update 08/15/22 at 03:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a new image.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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