Jade and I had been inseparable since childhood, so when her wedding approached, I was thrilled to be a bridesmaid. She’d invited my family, including James, my husband. But days before the wedding, Jade called, asking me not to bring James.

Confused, I tried to reach Jade for clarification but she abruptly ended the call. At a pre-wedding nail salon party, Whitney hinted that James had been uninvited due to rumors he was unsuitable and drank too much. I confronted Jade, who dismissed the rumors as a misunderstanding.

The situation left me reeling. James had been nothing but supportive, and Jade had previously introduced us. When I asked James if anything happened, he mentioned a drunken comment Jade made about wishing her relationship with Matthew was more like ours. It seemed that one offhand remark had spiraled into a bigger issue.

Despite the tension, I attended the wedding solo, bypassing my role as a bridesmaid. Jade’s wedding was beautiful, but our friendship felt strained. I reflected on the betrayal and how fragile trust could be.

Afterwards, James and I went for ice cream.

“Are you glad you went?” he asked.

“I’m glad it’s over,” I replied, unsure if I meant the wedding or our friendship.