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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have fallen out very badly with best friend- the day after my father’s funeral

45 replies

FairyF1 · 11/08/2020 11:13

So I know I am very emotional at the moment and may well be being unreasonable. Would be grateful for your thoughts and advice on what you would do. Apologies if this is too long - there is a backstory.

My father died recently (funeral was on Friday) - it was a horrible painful death and because of corona we were completely alone. It will haunt me forever. I had helped look after him for years, built my whole life around him (only child, divorced parents, not married) and am devastated. Everything feels pointless and even getting up to attend to daily life is a struggle /it’s just empty but I know I will need to rebuild. We had the funeral on Friday, I was alone on Saturday and then on Sunday my best friend came round. I have known her since school days , was there for her when her Mum died (helped plan and pay for the funeral) , children were born and she got divorced etc. Unfortunately I have felt we have drifted in recent years. We live in different parts of the country - she has a new relationship and when things are good I can go months/up to a year without hearing from her. When things are bad (for example when he dumped her to start another relationship) I can hear from her 5/6 times a day. During their most recent break up she phoned me saying she was suicidal , my father was in a&e unable to breath properly. I had to leave him to travel across the country and help her. I regret doing that. She then got back with him and despite my father being very ill I didn’t hear from her for months. When she did eventually get in touch I told her how hurt I was to not even receive a text - she didn’t apologise (maybe I was expecting too much) but said it was my fault for being a ‘closed book’/not asking for help: a repeated theme. I don’t think I am really - she knew what I was going through was happy (good for her) just didn’t make the effort? I decided to end our friendship , wished her all the best (in most ways she is a great person and I am very fond of her and her family) and left it at that. She bombarded me with texts and calls, and eventually I gave in. We were friends albeit a bit wary for months ( worth noting up until my father’s recent death she hadnt been to see me once since she began a new relationship six years ago: it was me who had to travel to see her despite my having caring responsibilities for my terminally ill father).

My father died recently. He was in hospital from December and it was horrendous (I will spare you the detail- but it was painful and bloody). When he died my friend did come down for the day the next week and then agreed to help with the funeral (as I had done with her mother and we had talked about for years). However her boyfriend booked for her to go on holiday abroad that week so in the end she was unable to help . She did however come back for the morning of the funeral and said she would stay with me the following week. As I had done for her following the death of her mother at her request. However this has not happened. The day after the funeral she went to a garden party being held by her family - I was kindly invited but was too upset to go and meet new people etc. She offered to come and see me in the evening - initially she said it would be sround 4or 5 but then around 7/8 she said she was going to have a drink with her boyfriend and would come a little later. I was a little annoyed as others had said they would come round to keep me company so I wasnt alone but I had stupidly declined their offers as I thought she would be there. I also wanted to go to the grave early in the morning. She knew I was unhappy but it wasn’t a big deal. The next evening she cane round and we had a huge row- our first proper stand up row in over thirty years of friendship. I was (probably badly) trying to explain how devestated I was that my father had died- the last 20 years of my life have been spent looking after him and I now feel completely alone/nothing to fill my life with/no purpose. I have family and friends but no partner or children and whilst everyone is lovely I am not a priority for anyone and I am going to have to get used to that. She spent the whole conversation scrolling through /checking her phone : I asked if she needed to be somewhere else. She took huge offence, said my comments had belittled the memory of her Mum (who was fabulous -and I would never intentionally say anything bad about) , said I had ruined her holiday (I don’t know how - I didn’t contact her - perhaps because she returned early for the funeral?) and stormed off. I have not heard from her again and don’t expect to. I paid the bill for where we were (alcohol was not involved) and left. It was utterly crazy. I feel confused and hurt about it all- normally I would be upset but given my father’s death it is really just a niggle in the back of my head. As I have no one else to talk to I thought I would consult you all . I am aware I am very emotional at the moment so wondered if I have done something wrong that I am just unaware of or if this is just someone who wanted out of our friendship and was looking for an excuse? What would you do? Have I been unreasonable?

OP posts:
Sloth66 · 11/08/2020 18:03

I think at awful difficult times, people often show you who they really are.

Now is the time to get support from people able and willing to provide that for you.
She is not one of them.

Nomorepies · 11/08/2020 18:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on the poster's request.

FizzyGreenWater · 11/08/2020 18:22

I'm so sorry for your loss and what has happened here.

Your 'friend' is a toxic nightmare.

Don't EVER contact her again, and if she does contact you, tell her 'You are no friend of mine' and block.

Focus on YOU. Your real friends - I am sure you have many.

This will be a super strange time for you but I really hope that it is the start of a new and positive chapter in your life.

Throckmorton · 11/08/2020 18:26

She is no friend at all - she's a user.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your father.

torpidcrystals · 11/08/2020 18:31

Sorry for your loss.
It sounds like you and your friend have very different ideas of what you do when you are friends, in the nicest way I think you perhaps have a tendency to give to much whilst your friend takes too much. That's never a recipe for a successful friendship at the best of times.

Flowers
Gubbeen · 11/08/2020 18:46

in the nicest way I think you perhaps have a tendency to give to much whilst your friend takes too much. That's never a recipe for a successful friendship at the best of times.

Yes, I think this is fair. There seems to have been some kind of assumption that she would duplicate some of the things you did for her when she lost a parent, and it just hasn't worked -- you're probably both different people to the people you were back then, quite apart from anything else, and while you have understandably been dedicating yourself solely to your father, she's had other things going on in her life.

You've done nothing at all wrong, except perhaps to have allowed yourself to be persuaded back into a friendship that really hadn't worked for a while, and to have gone along with her expectations of herself, which turn out to have been too high.

I don't think she 'wanted out' of your friendship, I just think she thought she should do what you'd done for her when she lost her mother, and wasn't able to when it came to it, and was at some level angry she'd set herself up to fail, and projected onto you.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

BogRollBOGOF · 11/08/2020 18:49

Friendship is a mutual relationship. She just wants to take and use you like a crutch.

Right now is probably too raw, but you are at a turning point in life where your lifestyle will adapt to your changed life. It's a good point to try new interests and meet new people and build relationships. Social options are opening up compared to a few months ago. Keeping busy is often good respite for dealing with grief.

GabsAlot · 11/08/2020 18:54

sorry for your loss op

she is no friend sorry showing u for half a day on your dads funeral and not making an effort for years isnt supportive she just doesnt care

Theterrible42s · 11/08/2020 18:56

I'm so sorry about your Dad, Fairy. You friend sounds completely shit, what completely bizarre and unforgivably self-centred behaviour. If I were you I'd be cutting my losses at this stage, I could never get past that.

I lost my dad a few months ago and it's been a rollercoaster, there is a lot of grief and hurt to come so be kind to yourself and don't allow anyone into your life who is going to be a drain on you. One thing I've found is that I have absolutely zero tolerance for anyone else's bullshit these days, which is quite liberating at least.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 11/08/2020 18:59

So sorry for your loss and the difficult time youa re going through. Things will get better, and it is a cliche but true that time is a healer. This is so raw. I hope that you can get some counselling to help you gently navigate this time.
Give this vile woman a giant bodyswerve. She wants you there to prop her up and Pay for things ( her mothers funeral, and the meal you had when she stormed off - classy) but she is too selfish to even be a little bit kind to you when you most needed a kind friend. You are emotional but to fling accusations at you about ruining her holiday just after a distressing berevement throw a giant spotlight on her selfish character.
You said others offered to be with you. Arrange to have a cup of tea and a chat or a walk with them and keep away from people who are not kind to you.
You will rebuild your life. Make yourself a priority and as other have said don't rush into commitments but take time to heal and to do nice things for yourself.
You were not unreasonable at all to argue with this "friend" and she should have been much kinder to you. You deserve better. Flowers

Timetospare · 11/08/2020 19:21

I am so very sorry for your loss of your dad, and appalled by the way your friend has treated you. I know some people do find it hard to be with the bereaved, but her behaviour sounds off the scale.

I wish I could transport myself to your home, give you big hug, a comforting drink and something nourishing to eat, and then sit down and let you talk as much as you need to.

Do you want to tell us about your Dad here? You may also ask to move this to the bereavement thread.

Ginkypig · 11/08/2020 19:23

@Annasgirl

I'm afraid this friendship died years ago and because you probably have so little time to have made new friends, you clung on to it long after most people would have ended it.

Take this opportunity to end this friendship forever - do not go back to this friendship, it is doing you no good.

Try to get some counselling to get the motivation necessary to build a new life for yourself and start out on a new adventure once you are through the worst part of the grieving process - this could take many months but you can get through it.

Meanwhile, reach out to those other nice people in your life and please, let this other woman go from your life.

This is what I was going to say.

She hasn't been your friend for a very long time. This was the label you had for her but she didn't actually fill any of the roles of a friend.

Take this as an opportunity to move on without her and allow your other friends who you didn't have as much ability to be as close to Because she was in your life to fill the space she has left. I bet there is at least 1 or 2 people who would like to be closer to you but you didn't have time between her and obviously your dad to develop the relationship.

Sorry about your dad. My words won't help but I lost mine too in difficult circumstances and it's a unique pain. Flowers

Gogogadgetarms · 11/08/2020 19:46

The day after the funeral she went to a garden party being held by her family
This is where she went wrong.
Not helping you plan the funeral because her bf booked a holiday it somewhat understandable. Plus she came back to attend the funeral and promised to stay with you afterwards.
She should not have attended the garden party. She let you down.

She took huge offence, said my comments had belittled the memory of her Mum
From what you’ve said I’ve no idea how she came to this conclusion. Sounds like she was looking for an out and made this up as an excuse to leave.

said I had ruined her holiday
I wonder if the bf objected to her returning early.

This may be a leap but from the history you gave it sounds like she puts the men in her life first and as a result everyone else is a lower priority.
The issue is clearly hers OP and I would try and chalk it up to experience and move on. I’m sorry for your loss and I hope you manage to surround yourself with people who have a positive impact on your life going forwards.

Summer294756 · 11/08/2020 20:20

I'm sorry about your dad. Unfortunately friendships can be very one sided and the issues come to light in situations like this.

carly2803 · 11/08/2020 21:01

I am sorry for your loss OP

She is not a friend. Drop her like a stone and never look back

Anon247 · 11/08/2020 21:12

FairyF1 I am so sorry for your loss.
When I was reading your post, all the hurt I experienced 10 years ago came back. I loss my dad, the one person I adored, and I suffered very badly. My "friend" of over 20years stayed away despite only living 4 miles away. she didn't come to see me, she didn't offer to help me take care of things or even send me a sympathy card. She did not go to the funeral and when she phoned three weeks later, all she talked about was what she had been doing in the past 3 weeks. I thought friends are suppose to be there for each other, I realised that our friendship had past and later, I told her that how angry I was with her. I also told her that we needed to end our friendship as we did not see life from the same angle and she agreed!
I have not seen her at all since, and I have no regrets. The loss of my father is still painful now, not as raw, but I honestly do not think I will ever "recover"... I still cry about losing him. I do find it easier to deal with now though. I have no regrets of cutting her off, I have moved on and found other friends who are less self absorbed.

Buggeredpelvicfloor2013 · 11/08/2020 21:20

OP, so sorry to hear this. You poor thing. Please be kind and gentle to yourself right now - from what you have said, none of this is your fault. Your friend gets the benefit of you - a helpful, supportive, caring listener and a crutch by the sound of it and you get nothing back. That's not friendship OP. Where is the give and take? X

FairyF1 · 13/08/2020 11:36

Thank you so much for your help and advice. I had resolved not to pursue the friendship - to just leave it.
Unfortunately well meaning family members unbeknown to me had got in touch with her to invite her to attend a surprise party they arranged for me. She declined their invite saying I would not want her there. After the party a family member said what had happened and that they wanted us all to go for a meal and she would go if I contacted her. As the family member is elderly , and grieving my father’s loss, I didn’t want to upset them - I tried to explain that it was a bit complicated/had been going on for a while but don’t think they understood/could hear what I was saying. They just remember us as children. So in an attempt to keep people happy I sent her a text saying I was sorry we had fallen out- no reply. I wish I hadn’t done that. I had been okay without contacting her and just focusing on my father. I feel now that it might look as though I was in the wrong- which to be honest I don’t think I really was. I could perhaps have said things differently/ I could have thought that maybe she would think I was referencing her Mum (when I really wasn’t - her Mum was fabulous as my friend knows. I just don’t know what to do - now I feel worse and very anxious . The meal has been arranged for tonight, I don’t think she will go and even if she did I really don’t want to be there. I want this time to be about my lovely Dad no one else.i am now feeling very stressed and anxious about someone who doesn’t really care about me at a time I should be focusing on my Father who did genuinely love me. Does that make sense? What would you do? Such a mess of my own making. I am so stupid!

OP posts:
Knocka · 13/08/2020 11:59

As the family member is elderly , and grieving my father’s loss, I didn’t want to upset them - I tried to explain that it was a bit complicated/had been going on for a while but don’t think they understood/could hear what I was saying. They just remember us as children. So in an attempt to keep people happy

This is a more general recommendation than any advice about the meal (which it sounds to me as if she's unlikely to attend), but I would seize this time, as you are having to painfully readjust your life after the loss of your dad, as a time to refocus on yourself and your own needs, which it sounds as if you have been accustomed to setting aside to the point where it's become an ingrained habit.

Your life revolved around being your father's carer, and it alarms me somewhat that, even after his death, you're already setting your own feelings aside for another elderly relative's distant memories of you and your friend as children.

You matter, and your feelings should matter more to you than anyone's.

VillanellesOrangeCoat · 14/08/2020 13:41

Just wondered how the meal went, whether flaky friend turned up & how you’re feeling about it today? Flowers

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