My Best Friend

Today is the worst day of my life. I thought I could depend on my friend but after reading what I read I now know I can’t. How did such a good friendship go so bad?!

I met Carla when we were both 13. I was new in school and didn’t have any friends. I entered my first class feeling anxious not just because I was new but also because it was a gym class and I am absolutely horrible at anything athletic. Carla walked up to me, smiled and made the funniest joke about gym and natural selection. That immediately put me at ease and we became fast friends. We bonded over many things but the biggest thing was the fact that we were both military brats and had already traveled to several different states in our young lives.

For me it was refreshing to finally meet someone who could understand the frustration of having to uproot your entire life at a moments notice and who could understand the stress of not knowing if your loved one was going to make it home from whatever war they were fighting and if they did come home, would they be the same person you remembered or would they be totally different. Carla was everything I could ever want in a best friend and as we grew up, even though we ended up in different states, we remained very close.

We spoke every day and also decided it would be fun to also write letters to one another, you know, old school style. We talked through our highs of graduation, getting into college and acing our freshman year to our lows of failing a class, breakups and trashing our car.

At 27 I finally met the man I wanted to marry, and other than my mother, I could think of no one else to share the news with except Carla. After our first date I couldn’t wait to tell her all about him. His smile, his tenderness, his hair, how he dressed & talked but most importantly how safe and secure he made me feel. By the time he proposed I was so head over heels in love no one or nothing could have stopped me from saying yes. I’m sure I soared higher than cloud 9 and I couldn’t wait to be Mrs. Alex House. I would spend hours walking around the house showing my ring & talking about my wedding plans to anyone who would listen, even if they didn’t ask. Having Carla as my maid of honor was going to be the 2nd highlight of the day (of course marrying Alex was going to be the main event).

So imagine my surprise when I received the letter. The letter that was addressed to me, Jesssica, from Mrs. Alex House. The letter that destroyed my entire life.

“Dear Jessica,

I know this letter will come as a complete surprise to you especially since it’s your wedding day but neither Alex or I could continue with this facade any longer. Ever since you met Alex, nothing he has said to you was true. Alex and I have been involved since our senior year in college. We were long distance but we made it work, or so I thought until the day I got your letter telling me about this amazing man you met and how you were sure you were going to marry him.

I reached out to him to confirm the letter and he advised that it was true. I told him he needed to choose between us and when he proposed to you I knew he had made his choice.

We had decided that we would never tell you our history but as the wedding day kept getting closer and closer it was apparent every time we were in the room together, it was getting more difficult to hide my feelings for him. So last night, after the rehearsal dinner I asked him to meet me in my hotel room and asked him to choose again. This time I used the one trick in my arsenal I knew you were waiting to use. I gave myself to him and I was so good we got to the church early this morning and asked the minister to marry us.

When I told you I was out on a coffee and donuts run I was really in the lobby of our honeymoon hotel writing this letter. To be honest, I wasn’t going to write anything to you. I was just going to leave but Alex being the nice guy he is didn’t want to leave you at the altar without an explanation. I know I should feel bad about what I’ve done but in my opinion you stole my man so I’m just showing you how it feels to be betrayed. Yes, yes, I know you didn’t know that we were dating but that doesn’t excuse what you did. Had you drilled him on his past or checked him out online you would have found our life together.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me but honestly if you don’t I will continue to move on with my fabulous, amazing life.

Ta Ta Jessica.”

The letter falls from my hands onto the floor. The floor of my bridal suite as I sit in my wedding dress with my wedding makeup, my wedding nails and my wedding hair. No one else is around. My mother is in the hallway because I asked for privacy and my maid of honor has ran off with my fiance. As the idea of that sinks in I feel the tears well up in my eyes and slowly run down my face along with my wedding mascara.

This is supposed to be my wedding day and the announcement is supposed to be “for the first time in public I’d like to introduce Mr and Mrs….” but instead I get to walk into the church and announce to our family and friends that no, there won’t be a wedding because there is no longer a groom.

So much for this being the happiest day of my life.