SIX YEARS ago, I found myself moving back home after eight years of independence. I’ve always been deeply involved in regional theatre troupes, and found an audition as soon as I could. I made friends in the group, was cast in the lead, and even found myself dating the man starring opposite me.
Never a good idea, I know, but it is what it is. One of the women I made friends with became almost like a sister to me, something I desperately needed once my co-star started playing head games. He didn’t want anyone to know we were dating, and didn’t want to label the relationship.
This woman vehemently talked me out of pursuing anything further with my co-star. Once the romance ended, and shortly after he tried to reconnect, she talked me out of that, too. However, it seemed she was spending an awful lot of time with ‘my’ guy while her fiancé was out of town.
So I confronted her. She said they were just good friends. My suspicions stood, and several others had the same suspicion, but she and the guy both denied anything beyond ‘friends’. Eventually, she moved away with her fiancé, got married, and had a child.
Over the past six years, my friendship with her has felt fake. I’ll get the short “I miss you, we should get together” e-mail from time to time, but that’s about it.
Recently I received confirmation she and this man were indeed carrying on a sexual relationship, and even approached my informant about a threesome. While this man is the farthest thing from my thoughts, her betrayal has come front and centre once again.
Am I wrong to think this friendship was never a friendship at all? I feel so completely taken advantage of for so many years.