I thought I knew my best friend. We had been through everything together—college, breakups, deep conversations at 3 AM.

So when he invited me to his wedding, I never expected to find out that my girlfriend—the woman I’ve been with for three years—wasn’t welcome. And the reason? It was worse than I could ever imagine. 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. Jake, my best friend since college, was getting married, and we had been waiting for this invitation for months.

“Finally!” Emily smiled, leaning over to look. “What’s the date?”

I examined the details—location, time, dress code. But then something made my stomach drop.

My name was the only one on it.

No plus-one. No “Me & Emily.” Just me.

I frowned. “This is… weird.”

Emily laughed. “Did he forget to put my name? Maybe Clare handled the invitations?”

That’s what I thought too. There was no way this was intentional. Emily wasn’t just my girlfriend—she was part of our group. We’d spent years celebrating birthdays, holidays, and vacations together. She helped Jake pick Clare’s engagement ring. She even helped plan his bachelor party.

I grabbed my phone and quickly messaged Jake. “Hey, man, I think there’s a mistake with my invite. Emily’s name isn’t on it.”

The typing bubble appeared. Then it disappeared. And then it reappeared.

Finally, a response:

“It’s not a mistake. We need to talk.”

My heart started pounding.

Confused, I met up with the other groomsmen that night. 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 left, my mind racing. Jake. My best friend. The guy I’d known for over a decade. The guy who was basically family.

And this is how he was treating me?

I found him near the bar, laughing with Clare and some bridesmaids, a drink in hand, looking like he didn’t care. My chest burned.

“Jake,” I said, my voice tight. “We need to talk.”

His smile faltered. “Uh—now?”

“Yes. Now.”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the group.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked. “Why do all the groomsmen have plus-ones except me? Why wasn’t Emily invited?”

Jake exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He wouldn’t look me in the eye. Guilt.

Before he could say a word, Clare stepped in, arms crossed, a smug smile on her face. “Because,” she said coldly, “Lisa would lose it, that’s why.”

I blinked. “Lisa?”

Jake flinched. “Man—”

Clare cut him off with a dramatic sigh. “Lisa has been obsessed with you since the engagement party. She thinks you two are, like, meant to be or something.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “She’s been having some issues, and honestly? We didn’t want drama at the wedding.”

I felt nauseous. “Wait. So let me get this straight. You uninvited my girlfriend… to keep one of the bridesmaids happy?”

“She’s very jealous,” Clare said as if that justified the madness.

I let out a dry, 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 going through some stuff, and we thought if you came alone, it would keep things simpler.”

Keep things simpler.

I stared at him, my blood boiling. “You hear what you’re saying?”

Jake sighed. “It’s not personal, man—”

I took a step closer. “It’s not personal? You think Emily’s going to see it that way? You think I do?”

Clare rolled her eyes, but Jake seemed genuinely torn. “I know it’s not ideal, but—”

“No,” I interrupted. “It’s not just ‘not ideal.’ It’s disrespectful. It’s insulting.”

I shook my head, stepping back, disgust in my stomach.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered.

They wanted me to pretend I was single for a day. Because one of the bridesmaids, a jealous, unstable woman, had a crush on me. I could hardly process the audacity.

Clare, completely indifferent, rolled her eyes. “It’s not a big deal. You could’ve just told Emily to stay home and not cause any trouble.”

My blood boiled. My hands balled into fists at my sides. These people weren’t just insensitive. They were out of their minds.

“Let me get this straight,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “You expect me to show up, pretend to be single, and play along with this delusional fantasy to keep Lisa happy?”

Jake still wouldn’t look me in the eye.

Clare made a disgusted face, crossing her arms. “You’re acting like we’re asking you to cheat. It’s just one night. Can’t you get over it?”

Something inside me snapped.

“No,” I said, walking away. “Actually, I can’t.”

Jake looked up. “Wait, man—”

I raised my hand. “I’m out. Not just of the wedding. I’m done with this friendship.”

Clare’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?!”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I’m very serious. Because unlike you, I actually respect my relationship.”

Jake ran a hand through his hair, now looking genuinely panicked. “Come on, man. It’s just one night.”

“It is.” I stared at him, my voice cold. “And that’s one more night than I can handle.”

I turned on my heel and left. Not just the wedding—them.

As soon as I got home, I told Emily everything.

She listened in silence, her expression unreadable. When I finished, she let out a sigh, shaking her head. “Wow.”

“That’s all you have to say?” I asked.

She looked at me, her eyes sparkling. “Actually, I have a lot more to say. But I’m trying to decide if I should be mad or just laugh at how pathetic this all is.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Take all the time you need. I’ve gone through the same process.”

Emily shook her head again, rubbing her temples. “So let me get this straight. They excluded me—not because of space, not because of family drama, but because some unhinged woman has a crush on you?”

“That’s right.”

“And they thought you’d be okay with this?”

“Apparently.”

She leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms. “You know what? I actually feel bad for Lisa.”

I frowned. “Lisa? She’s the one to blame for all this.”

Emily smiled. “Exactly. Imagine being so delusional that a couple of brides and grooms are rearranging their entire wedding plans just to make sure you don’t cause a scene. That’s embarrassing.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s a good point.”

She reached out and squeezed my hand. “But I’m proud of you.”

“Why?”

“For walking away from people who clearly don’t respect you. Or us.”

I kissed the back of her hand. “I didn’t hesitate.”

And you know what?

I didn’t regret a thing.

And Karma?

She took care of the rest.

Lisa had a meltdown.

A spectacular meltdown, reality-show-level.

The moment she saw a couple kissing, something in her just… snapped. One minute she was sipping champagne and glaring at happy couples. The next, she was screaming that love was a lie, flipping a $700 barbecue table like a WWE fighter on a rampage.

Guests were in shock. Someone screamed. A bridesmaid even dropped her wine glass.

And then—because apparently Lisa was determined to top that—she turned on Clare.

“You don’t deserve to be the bride!” Lisa shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I should be the bride today! This should be my wedding!”

Before anyone could react, she dove into the cake.

Yes. The wedding cake.

The huge, beautiful four-tier masterpiece, probably more expensive than my rent.

She grabbed a handful of icing and threw it—right at Clare’s face.

Clare screamed, dodging just in time. The cake, however, didn’t survive.

It crashed to the ground in a heap of fondant and shattered dreams.

Chaos erupted. The groomsmen tried to drag Lisa away. Clare was screaming. Jake was screaming. Half the guests ran for the hills. Someone called the police.

When the authorities arrived, the garden looked like a warzone—tables overturned, food scattered, decorations destroyed. Jake’s “perfect wedding” had officially gone up in flames.

And me?

I was home, enjoying a quiet, drama-free night with Emily.

I only heard about the disaster when Mark, the…