WORKING WITH THE EX

Seldom when one sees an attractive person at the workplace and makes a move do they think, "Man, things are gonna get so awkward if this doesn't work out." Being the connoisseur of awkward, I got your back, kid.

The End 
Did you guys say 'goodbye' on good terms or did it all go up in flames? In the case of a mutual understanding, it's cool to act like it never happened at all. Acknowledge their presence and leave it to that until they respond. If there was yelling and vocalization of the desire to never see each other again, it's better to avoid any small talk. 

Read Into It  
After the initial greeting, be sensitive to signals your ex is sending you. If it was him/her who said hello first, you should probably act friendly. If it's the other way around, notice their body language a bit. Did s/he smile at you? Was it a fake smile? Are they being uncharacteristically polite? 

Where You Stand  
Are you both merely co-workers or is there a rank gap? If your former significant other is your boss or holds a higher position than you at the office, don't expect special treatment just because there's history between you two. And in case of bad treatment, consider the options. If s/he is relentlessly picking on you by exploiting their seniority, and nobody else in the workplace is doing anything about it, you might have to make some tough decisions. 

If you are the senior ranked one here, don't be a jerk. Sing "Let It Go" and well, let it go. 

Mutual Friends 
Trying to turn your ex's friends against them is just low. Don't talk smut about your ex (this applies to scenarios beyond the workplace, obviously).  It's best to not discuss your "relentless attempts to make it work" and how you "cannot believe s/he could do such a thing" with colleagues if you want to avoid seeming jilted and needy. Same applies to family members of your ex. If you were close to them before the break up, no reason why you have to give them the cold shoulder just because things didn't work out with your lover (yes, I said lover).

Speak up  
Miscommunication equals to misunderstandings. If you're not cool with something they did, talk to them about it. If you hear rumors and that make you uncomfortable, confirm them and clear them.

Moving On  
Even when you're the one who initiated the break up, sometimes it still hurts to see them move on, especially if the third party is also your co-worker. Just keep in mind that there's a possibility that they might replace you with someone who works at the same place whom you may not like, or even worse, someone who's a friend. Try not to play the jealousy game.

Mind Your Business 
Keep it professional. Enough said. You're grownups here and there's no reason for a past relationship to get in the way of a good work environment unless you two are being really childish about it. 

Aysha Amin needs you to send her harsh criticism, Hungryalist poetry and blurb ideas to aysha.amin.27@gmail.com