I thought I knew my best friend. Jake and I had been through everything together—college, breakups, late-night heart-to-hearts. He was practically family. So when he invited me to his wedding, I was excited.
What I never expected was that my girlfriend—the woman I’d been with for three years—wasn’t welcome. And the reason? It was worse than I ever could’ve imagined.
I still remember the exact moment I saw the invitation.
I was sitting on the couch with Emily, my girlfriend of three years, when I opened the envelope. We had been waiting for this invite for months. Jake was finally marrying Clare, and we were ready to celebrate.
“Finally!” Emily grinned, leaning in to look. “What’s the date?”
I scanned the details—venue, time, dress code. But then something made my stomach drop.
My name was the only one on it.
No plus-one. No “& Emily.” Just me.
I frowned. “That’s… weird.”
Emily laughed. “Did he forget to put my name? Maybe Clare handled the invites?”
That’s what I thought too. Emily wasn’t just my girlfriend—she was part of our friend group. She had spent years celebrating birthdays, holidays, and vacations with us. She even helped Jake pick out Clare’s engagement ring. There was no way this was intentional.
I grabbed my phone and shot Jake a quick text. Hey, man, I think there’s a mistake with my invite. Emily’s name isn’t on it.
The typing bubble popped up. Then disappeared. Then popped up again.
Finally, a response:
“Not a mistake. We need to talk.”
My heart started pounding.
That night, I met up with the other groomsmen. I pulled one aside and whispered, “What the hell is going on?”
His face went pale. His eyes darted around before he leaned in. “Wait… they didn’t tell you?!”
A chill ran down my spine. “Tell me what?”
I didn’t wait. I stormed off, my mind racing. Jake. My best friend. The guy I’d known for over a decade. The guy who was practically family.
And this was how he treated me?
I found him near the bar, laughing with Clare and some bridesmaids, drink in hand. My chest burned.
“Jake,” I said, my voice tight. “We need to talk.”
His smile wavered. “Uh—now?”
“Yes. Right now.”
I didn’t wait for an answer. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the group.
“Why does every groomsman get a plus-one except me? Why wasn’t Emily invited?”
Jake exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. Guilt.
Before he could say a word, Clare walked over, arms crossed, lips curled into a smug smirk. “Because,” she said coolly, “Lisa would lose her mind, that’s why.”
I blinked. “Lisa?”
Jake flinched. “Dude—”
Clare cut him off. “Lisa’s been obsessed with you since the engagement party. She thinks you two are, like, destined or something. She’s been struggling, and honestly? We didn’t want any drama at the wedding.”
I felt sick. “Wait. So you purposely uninvited my girlfriend… to keep one of the bridesmaids happy?”
“She gets really jealous,” Clare said, as if that justified this insanity.
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “So your brilliant solution was to exclude Emily? The woman I’ve been with for THREE YEARS?”
Jake finally found his voice, looking miserable. “Look, man… it’s just for one night. Lisa’s been going through some stuff, and we figured if you came alone, it would keep things simple.”
Keep things simple.
I stared at him, my blood boiling. “Are you even hearing yourself right now?”
Jake sighed. “It’s not personal, man—”
“Not personal? You think Emily’s gonna see it that way? You think I see it that way?”
Clare scoffed. “Oh, come on. You know Lisa’s fragile. We’re just trying to be considerate.”
“Considerate?” My voice rose. “You’re considerate of Lisa, but you don’t care how this affects Emily? Or me?”
Jake looked torn. “I know it’s not ideal, but—”
“No,” I snapped. “It’s not just ‘not ideal.’ It’s disrespectful. It’s insulting.”
I shook my head, disgust curling in my stomach. They wanted me to play pretend boyfriend for a day. Because some entitled, jealous bridesmaid had a crush on me.
Clare, completely unbothered, rolled her eyes. “It’s not a big deal. You could’ve just told Emily to stay home and not make a fuss.”
Something inside me snapped.
“No,” I said. “Actually, I can’t.”
Jake’s head shot up. “Wait, dude—”
I held up a hand. “I’m out. Not just out of the wedding. I’m done with this friendship.”
Clare’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?!”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I’m dead serious. Because unlike you, I actually respect my relationship.”
Jake ran a hand through his hair, looking panicked. “Come on, man. It’s just one night.”
“Yeah.” I met his eyes, voice ice cold. “And that’s one night too many.”
I turned on my heel and walked away. Not just from the wedding—but from them.
The second I got home, I told Emily everything.
She listened in silence, then exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “Wow.”
“That’s all you have to say?” I asked.
She looked up at me, eyes blazing. “No, actually, I have a lot more to say. But I’m trying to decide whether I should be angry or just laugh at how pathetic that is.”
I chuckled. “Take your time. I went through the same process.”
Emily smirked. “You know what? I actually feel bad for Lisa. Imagine being so delusional that an engaged couple is out here orchestrating an entire wedding seating plan just to make sure you don’t throw a tantrum. That’s embarrassing.”
I laughed. “That’s a solid point.”
She reached for my hand. “I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“For walking away from people who don’t respect you. Or us.”
I kissed the back of her hand. “I didn’t even hesitate.”
And you know what?
I didn’t regret a thing.
And karma?
She did the rest.
Lisa still had a meltdown.
A spectacular, reality-show-level meltdown.
Long story short? She destroyed the wedding cake, shrieked about how she should’ve been the bride, and knocked over a $700 barbecue spread. The cops were called.
And me?
I was at home, drama-free, with Emily.
Later, I got a text from a groomsman: Dude. You dodged a bullet.
I showed Emily. She smirked. “So… do you think Jake still thinks uninviting me was the ‘simpler’ option?”
I grinned. “Oh, I think he’s learned his lesson.”
