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My friend lied and changed my life

170 replies

Lovelifeinterruptus · 30/01/2021 15:00

This is long, sorry! NC as it's all a bit personal and embarrassing and could potentially be outing if anyone recognises themselves Blush

Back in the early 90s' I was in my early 20's and was madly in love with my boyfriend 'Gary'. He wasn't perfect at first, he went to ibiza with 'the lads' a few weeks after we met and admitted to some infidelity. I wasn't perfect either and had some drunken snogs in those early weeks.

Anyway. It was an amazing time as our relationship deepened that I remember fondly. We had so much fun together. We were both into trailing around museums and art galleries and had a love of history. It was a very lustful relationship, we couldn't keep our hands off each other. I'd never had feelings like that before and was absolutely head over heels.

I had a good friend. 'Hayley'. A while after I met Gary she went through a bad break up after her bf, who she was living with, cheated on her. We found her a new place to live and she started to feel better and had a couple of boyfriends on the rebound. Gary, Hayley and I often spent time together and there were lots of times when we set her up with blind dates or we went out as a foursome with one of her boyfriends.

One weekend, almost a year in to my relationship with Gary, Hayley and I planned a Saturday night in at my place and she was to stay over as usual. We always slept in the same bed when she stayed over. During the evening Gary turned up. I can't remember why. I think he had been let down by a friend. Anyway, I made it clear it was a girls night in but he stayed and joined in with our evening. Hayley and I went to bed in my bed as planned and Gary took the sofa. Sometime during the night Gary slipped into bed beside me, so I was in the middle. No funny business, we just slept. In the morning we all woke and were chatting. It didn't seem odd that we were in the same bed, we had all had odd living arrangements and it wasn't uncommon to wake up in odd situations. I went to the kitchen and could hear them chatting. Everything was fine.

A week or so later Hayley dropped the bombshell that Gary had tried it on with her while they were in the bed together after I had got up. I was devastated. I confronted him and he denied it but maybe because of the ibiza incident and because I trusted Hayley implicitly, I broke up with him. He continued to try and explain that he had done nothing wrong. I still have the big bundle of pleading letters that he sent somewhere!

It broke my heart and it was a dark time but with Hayley's support I eventually moved on. The following year I met dh and we are still together happily.

Gary and I connected via FB about 10 years ago. We're both happily married with dc and now live in different countries. Looking at his photos I didn't really feel anything. It was just nice to be in touch. We sent a couple of messages back and forth, we didn't mention our relationship or break up, it was just a brief catch up and 'nice to be in touch' type thing. We don't really communicate at all now. I will occasionally 'like' his photos of his family and vice versa.

Hayley moved abroad not long after I married dh. We kept in touch via letters and the odd phone call. She returned for a mutual friend's wedding and a couple of other times so we saw each other 3/4 times over about 20 years. Then the communication sort of fizzled out.

Very recently she sent me a friend request on FB. It was so lovely to hear from her and we sent long messages to each other over the course of a couple of days and discussed meeting up once lockdown is over as we now live in the same country. Then I mentioned Gary. I said I'd messaged him once or twice a long time ago and gave her a brief update on what he was doing. She then messaged and told me that she lied about Gary. She thought he would end up cheating on me and didn't want to see me hurt so she made it up so I would break up with him... along with a laughing emoji.

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. It was such a long time ago but I still remember my heart breaking as Hayley told me Gary had tried it on with her in my bed, and the subsequent months of bleakness as I slowly got over him. She didn't want to see me hurt but she did the worst thing that could hurt me?

I don't know what to say to her. My gut feeling is to delete and block and forget she ever existed but I also want to let rip about the hurt she caused.

I don't know what to do about Gary. Do I mention that Hayley told me she was lying? Should I apologise for not believing him or just let it go?

And of course I've now got the 'What ifs' going through my mind. I don't know if Gary and I were destined to be together forever, but we certainly weren't anywhere near the point of breaking up when we did. It's a bit of a head fuck to be honest! It was 30 years ago but it's brought it all the heartache back! Lockdown and having fuck all to take.my kind off it isn't helping either Confused.

OP posts:
HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 30/01/2021 17:33

Block her.no explanation just block.she’s trying to elicit a response.why tell you now?

speakout · 30/01/2021 17:33

Sounds like a messy time.

Some things aer best left in the past.

MintyCedric · 30/01/2021 17:35

@barskits

My gut feeling is to delete and block and forget she ever existed but I also want to let rip about the hurt she caused I'd let rip first, then delete and block.

There's no point in telling Gary now. You would just be passing on the angst to him as well as suffering it yourself. You've got to let it all go.

Yep...this would be my option too.

What a bloody cow though!

bitliketonyhares · 30/01/2021 17:39

It was 30 years ago. I honestly would leave it in the past. If you'd ended up with Gary, your child wouldn't be the same child. Please don't dredge these things up, it could potentially upset your family. Stupid actions as teenagers, not worth another thought.

nuitdesetoiles · 30/01/2021 17:40

I no response and block, or a very cool breezy no worries type response and keep her at arms length for a while see how she behaves then block when you decide. An emotional "you bitch" response will fuel the fire. Emotions need to be kept to a minimum with emotional vampires likes this. She sounds very weird, getting in contact after all this time... Telling you this, the photos. Unhealthily obsessed with the events of a long time ago. Would be interesting to see her relationship patterns since, friends and intimate partners.

AnnieKenney · 30/01/2021 17:40

FWIW, I recently received an apology from someone who had wrongly accused me of something from about 12 years ago. I had long moved past it but at the time it was really hurtful not to be believed and I did appreciate the apology even after all these years.It also massively increased my respect for the person who apologised as they could have just let it go but felt motivated to right a wrong.

HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 30/01/2021 17:43

@nuitdesetoiles, spot on post.the women is trying to elicit response,she’s at it
Obvious question to ponder but not directly ask is why?
Best thing is no response, that’ll flummox her. She trying to manipulate you

Bohemond · 30/01/2021 17:43

@Fairydustrust

I think lockdown is messing with all of our brains!! I don't understand the need to have old relationships with friends or exes renewed digitally on facebook. Just delete both of them, and live your life now. Flowers
This.
alltheadrenalin · 30/01/2021 17:48

This reads a like a 90s British movie 
Felt like I was back reading my Just Seventeen magazine there

^^ I want to know how this ends, do they get back together. Is she lying again? I'm on edge of my seat

MusicalTrifleMonkey · 30/01/2021 17:51

I guarantee she was jealous. What a nasty thing to do.

2021Sunshine · 30/01/2021 17:51

Tell her gosh that’s taken me right back to that time. Can you send those photos over please. I’m trying to recall it all.

Once you have the photos I’d simply say my life path was not yours to interfere with and block her.

I’d also apologise to Gary then disappear back as acquaintances.

You should be telling your DH too.

HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 30/01/2021 17:56

That’s a convoluted faff @2021Sunshine, apologising for a 30year ago drama
Explaining to current husband about an ex whom you’ve moved on from

Happychic50 · 30/01/2021 17:56

I would delete her on fb. Send an apology to your ex and delete him. Concentrate on your happy marriage. Xx

RootyT00t · 30/01/2021 17:59

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

That’s a convoluted faff *@2021Sunshine*, apologising for a 30year ago drama Explaining to current husband about an ex whom you’ve moved on from
Doesn't sound like OP has - not from the ex I mean, but it's brought it back up for her.
HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 30/01/2021 18:01

No need to turn this into a she said,I did drama. No apologies are required from op.
Op acted in good faith on information she believed reliable in it source
However op subsequently found out her mate lied, that’s really not the op problem and as such op doesn’t need to take any remedial action

tolerable · 30/01/2021 18:01

er..how do you know she isnt lying about lying>?if you and gary were destined to be together then ..thats how your story will go.hayley right wrong or not is a dick.block her aye.tell her friendships a valued thing and she isni,throwing a bit of a strange strength into happily married...if still ..fantasizing...bout it now.dont think thatll do you any real favours tho.i dont think i could get stroppy bout it really.defo would i hell tell gary tho.thats weird

CityCommuter · 30/01/2021 18:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thewinterofdiscontent · 30/01/2021 18:13

Well it’s upset you even now and Hayley obviously remembers it too. I’d apologise to Gary for closure and think no more of it.
Hayley was absolutely wrong but it can’t be undone and she doesn’t really play a part in your life now.

I do think it’s odd that you didn’t trust Gary enough to get back with him though. Mostly women have to actually see their bloke cheating before they do anything and even thats not enough to make them leave half the time.

SkepticalCat · 30/01/2021 18:16

I was also going to say that how can you be sure she isn't lying now, and that he did actually try it on with her back then? Either way, she is toxic and you should have no more to do with her. I wouldn't bring it up with Gary.

RootyT00t · 30/01/2021 18:36

@Seychelles98

Would anyone on this thread really just believe as gospel that their BF tried it on with their friend? Just like that take their word for it and rush to dump him?

Is the BF's explanation who OP had a close relationship with valid at all or do you automatically believe you friend without question?

Nope.
RootyT00t · 30/01/2021 18:37

Incidentally though if you trusted hima nd her enough to let them in your bed together, I'm not sure how you suddenly got to no trust at all and believed your friend and kicked him to the kerb.

Lovelifeinterruptus · 30/01/2021 18:39

To answer a few questions.

I haven't replied yet but she can see I've read it so I don't want to leave it too long and give her the satisfaction that I'm agonising over it. I'm swaying towards a bright and breezy reply to take the wind out of her sails. Thanks to those who have suggested that angle as my first thought was to give it to her good and proper, but I think that would leave me feeling rubbish.

Something along the lines of 'Oh yeah I had forgotten about all that stuff with Gary, can you believe it was 30 years ago? I can't wait to see the photos'

As soon as I've seen the photos I'll cut contact.

She's divorced and remarried with dc and sdc. She seems happy so I can't see why she would want to hurt me. She's admitted to drinking a lot so maybe it came out when she didn't have her wits about her.

Her lying about it to upset me now and potentially harm my marriage hadn't crossed my mind. Now that really is a head fuck Shock

I did trust Hayley implicitly. I was obviously wrong. We had been friends since college, we went off to different Universities but ended up working together and were very close. It never entered my head, until she told me recently, that she had lied. I was obviously very gullible back then.

Until now my correspondence with Gary has been about our families and a few gossipy bits about old mutual friends. Delving back into our relationship feels a bit awkward. Maybe a quick 'Hey mate, guess who got in touch? Hayley! She says she lied about you and her all that time ago. I believed her so I'm sorry about that, I didn't realise she wasn't to be trusted. I thought I should let you know as she's just got on FB and might get in touch with you. Anyway I hope you and the family are well? The pics of you and the new grand baby are lovely'

I'll sleep on it I think!

OP posts:
nuitdesetoiles · 30/01/2021 18:48

Hey OP don't give yourself a hard time about being gullible. You weren't gullible, you were behaving the way most of us would in a mutually satisfying friendship based on trust.

nuitdesetoiles · 30/01/2021 18:51

I've had some weird jealousy driven experiences with so called female friends. I'm very wary of female friends as a result, takes me a long time to trust and I'm not one for intense friendships. Too complicated and devastating when they don't work out!

It sounds like she was either jealous of you having a bf, fancied him or wanted you all to herself, not because she fancied you she was jealous of your time and attention going elsewhere. Very narcissistic.

SnottyLottie · 30/01/2021 19:03

You don’t need to tell Gary, he already knew she was lying when she made false accusations against him. All it will do is bring up history and ‘what ifs’ with him and probably frustrate him.

I would politely tell her you don’t know why she finds it amusing, she destroyed two lives and caused a lot of heartbreak. It wasn’t her choice to make a decision about who you dated or if you needed protecting. I would then inform her you can’t be friends who would do something as damaging as that and you will be ceasing contact with her. Then block her: