Revenge of the "sluts": as teenagers, these women were tagged with the dreaded S word by their mean-girl classmates. But being an outcast made them more driven to succeed. If only their tormentors could see them now.(Real-Life Reads)

Few words hold the kind of power over women the way slut does. Once loosely used as a synonym for prostitute, the term became an insult implying that a chick slept around ... and therefore was dirty and unworthy. "Our culture frowns upon females acting out in a sexual way, and being labeled a slut was a form of punishment," says Laura Triplett, PhD, assistant professor of communications at California State University at Fullerton, who has researched the word.

These days, being called a slut is still a form of punishment. And usually, it's other females who are the name-callers. The motive is often jealousy or the need for one girl to put down another in the hypercompetitive world of teen cliques.

Guys, of course, don't earn a bad rep if they're players. Yet for girls, the effects of being singled out like that can linger for years. While some chicks get depressed, others become more determined than before to overcome the stigma. These five women did just that, achieving the kind of success that makes for the best revenge.

Elizabeth Hannum, 26

PUBLIC-RELATIONS EXECUTIVE

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

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