When my best friend Jade’s wedding approached, I wanted nothing more than to be there for her. But just days before the ceremony, strange rumors began to swirl around my husband James — and then Jade asked me not to bring him at all. What I eventually uncovered left me questioning everything I thought I knew about our friendship.
Jade and I had been inseparable since childhood. We grew up across the street from one another, moving through every stage of life together — from sleepovers in elementary school to walking across the stage at high school graduation. When college sent us to different cities, we kept in touch, determined never to let distance weaken the bond we’d built.
“We’re going to be friends until we’re gray-haired and knitting scarves for our grandkids,” Jade used to tell me.
I always believed her. She worked hard to nurture our friendship, no matter what life threw at us.
Even when I married James four years ago, Jade was right there by my side — sharing Maid of Honor duties with my sister and diving into every detail of my wedding. So when her own big day finally arrived, I was thrilled to be part of it as one of her bridesmaids.
Preparing for Her Big Day
Jade had welcomed my entire family to her wedding, something I found deeply touching.
“Are you sure? Everyone?” I asked when she gave me the invitation.
“Of course! They’ve all been part of my life too, especially your gran. Nobody makes grilled cheese like she does. I practically grew up on those sandwiches!” she laughed.
As the wedding approached, each bridesmaid took on specific tasks. My responsibility was planning the pre-wedding dinner — Jade didn’t want the typical wild bachelor or bachelorette nights.
“Matthew and I just want something classy,” she explained. “An elegant dinner with good food and drinks, nothing rowdy.”
So I organized exactly that. The night of the dinner, Jade was glowing in a white dress — keeping with her theme that everything leading up to the wedding would be white. We ate, drank, and reminisced about the past.
At one point, a slightly tipsy Jade begged James to go out for s’mores ingredients.
“Please, James,” she pleaded, clinging to my arm, “get the bride-to-be some chocolate and marshmallows!”
James, who had been drinking as well, eventually agreed and took a cab to the supermarket. He returned later, arms full of supplies, and soon we were roasting marshmallows under the stars. It felt perfect — a memory that seemed to cement how far we had all come together.
Or so I thought.
The Shocking Request
Two days before the wedding, I decided to call Jade just to check in and ease her nerves.
“Hey, Jade,” I said when she answered. “I just wanted to remind you again that I can’t wait to see you walking down the aisle.”
“Thanks, Evie!” she gushed before her voice grew serious. “Listen… I need to ask you something.”
“Anything,” I said lightly. “You know bridesmaids are sworn to obey.”
“I’m glad you think that,” she replied softly. “Because this is really important.”
I waited for her to continue, but what came next nearly made me drop my coffee cup.
“Please… don’t bring James to the wedding. Please.”
I sat frozen. My whole family was invited. Why would she single out my husband?
“What? Why?” I blurted out, but before she could answer, she hurried off the phone with a flimsy excuse.
I was left staring at the screen, shaken and confused. Jade was the one who had introduced me to James in the first place. She’d stood by my side at my own wedding — now she didn’t want him at hers?
The Rumors
That afternoon, the bridesmaids had plans to get our nails done together. Despite my unease, I went — hoping Jade would be there so I could ask her directly.
But she wasn’t.
Instead, her cousin Whitney greeted me with an oddly sympathetic look.
“How are you holding up, Evie?” she asked.
“Why? What’s going on?” I said, already on edge.
“Well… I heard James was uninvited,” she admitted carefully. “I didn’t know if you’d still be part of the bridal party after that.”
My heart dropped. “Wait, you heard that too? Why would Jade say something like that?”
Whitney hesitated before continuing. “Jade told people she doesn’t think James is right for you. She said he drinks too much and she’s worried he’ll embarrass her at the wedding.”
I was floored. Jade — my best friend — had been talking about my husband like that behind my back? It didn’t add up. She was the one who’d drunkenly begged him to fetch marshmallows just a few nights earlier. James had done it without complaint.
Before I could react further, Jade walked in, smiling as if nothing had happened. I confronted her then and there, demanding an explanation.
She denied everything. Claimed it was a misunderstanding. But the damage was already done. Whether or not the rumors were true, trust had been broken.
Choosing Between Loyalty and Love
That night, I told James everything over pizza on the couch.
“Love, I don’t get it,” he said, baffled. “She’s the one with the problem, not me.”
I asked him directly if anything had happened between him and Jade that I didn’t know about.
He shook his head. “The only thing I can think of is when she got drunk at the dinner and said she wished her relationship with Matthew was more like ours. She seemed embarrassed after she said it. That’s all.”
Could that really be the reason? Just one slip of the tongue after too many drinks?
Whatever the truth was, the friendship I thought was unshakable now felt fragile and cracked.
The Wedding Day
In the end, I went to the wedding alone. James encouraged me to do it for the sake of the years Jade and I had shared.
“Go,” he told me gently. “If not for her, then for yourself. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
So I went — but not in my bridesmaid dress. I chose one of my own instead, silently stepping back from the role Jade had once asked me to play.
The ceremony was beautiful. I watched my best friend marry the man she loved. But my heart was heavy. Whatever Jade’s reasons, she had chosen to exclude James — and in doing so, she had pushed me away too.
Aftermath
When James picked me up afterward, we stopped for ice cream and waffles.
“Are you glad you went?” he asked.
“I’m glad it’s over,” I replied softly.
Even now, I don’t know if I was referring to the wedding… or to my friendship with Jade.
Friendship, like marriage, is built on trust. And once that trust is fractured, no amount of celebration can fix what’s broken.