My ex dumped me six months ago because my cystic acne allegedly 'killed his attraction,' and today he walked in as the new hire in my department. I spent an hour caking on foundation in pure panic. Then he dragged me into the empty breakroom with his own jawline covered in painful cysts, practically begging for my dermatologist's number because his entire Instagram feed was Facetuned. Do I gatekeep out of pure spite?

The sweet, poetic irony of karmic dermatological justice. Take a deep breath, unclench your shoulders, and savor the moment. Here is your reality check: cystic acne is a deep-seated inflammatory skin condition driven by genetics and hormones, not a moral failing—and skin definitely doesn't negotiate with Instagram filters. He dumped you over biology, hid behind digital smoothing, and life promptly served him a flare-up of his own. Don't gatekeep. Being effortlessly professional will rattle his ego infinitely more than petty revenge ever could. Hand him your clinic’s contact info like an unbothered CEO handing over a memo. You can look him dead in the eye and say: 'Here’s her info. Just so you know, the purge phase takes months and filters don't work under fluorescent office lighting.' Then stop suffocating your skin under panic-makeup. You’ve got a job to crush, and your skin is already doing just fine without his approval.