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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Friendship problems in my fifties - TWO'S COMPANY, THREE'S A CROWD

19 replies

FEDUP1969 · 05/03/2021 09:17

I really thought these things only happened with bitchy teenage girls.

I've got two particular friends who I have known for over 30 years, lets call them Suzie and Sally. We only started going out/meeting up in a group of 3 over the last 10 years.

I have seen them both separately over the years, we don't always go out together, but we go out in a group of three around 4 times a year, and always at Christmas.

There has been the odd indication over the years from Suzie that she doesn't like Sally that much. We all had a great day out to an event around 7 years ago and a couple of weeks after that we were out with other friends and she made the comment "someone else came along - you know when two's company and three's a crowd.

Suzie likes talking about herself and I get the impression likes to get me on my own so she doesn't have to listen to Sally.

In November 2019 the three of us went out for a lovely meal and Sally disclosed something very sensitive to both of us and we had a very long chat about it. Suzie made it clear of her thoughts and she should tell her family.

I know we've had the pandemic since March last year, but Suzie has now blanked Sally and doesn't respond to any texts. I think she has seen this as an ideal time to end the friendship. I really think she thought the disclosure was really boring (as she likes to talk about herself) and she thought I never want to hear that again.

Suzie has spent the last year trying to get me to leave Sally out of any plans for meals etc. She will say things like do you mind if we leave her out as I don't want to hear about her job. Even when it was my birthday and I would have liked to have gone out with both of them. Even at Christmas she wanted to involve another friend and leave Sally out, which was definitely out of the question and I would never do that.

When I did arrange something for the three of Suzie made an excuse that she had to do something else.

Sally is very upset to be blanked, especially after the disclosure. She asked me to raise it with Suzie which I did and Suzie wasn't happy and said Sally was a trouble causer. She wasn't in the slightest bit happy I had raised any of this and said Sally was my friend, not hers.

Sally is now paranoid and feeling very vulnerable. She said she wouldn't have chosen to make the disclosure if she didn't see Suzie as a friend and now she doesn't want to know her.

It wasn't the ideal time to choose to end a friendship.

I haven't told Sally that Suzie was trying to get me to exclude her from everything.

It puts me in a difficult position . I think Suzie is confused about what constitutes a friend! She has had Sally's number for the past 10 years and has always contacted her to arrange things so she is her friend as well as mine - it's a cop out to excuse her behaviour to say she's not her friend!

Sorry for the longwinded post. This is really getting to me. It's not fair that Suzie has put me in this position when there are only the three of us in the this particular friendship circle. I'm having very negative thoughts about her as this is very nasty.

I think this explains why she has so few friends and her relationships with her family have broken down. She has no school or college friends and no friends from earlier jobs, despite getting friendly with dozens of people over the years.

OP posts:
MaeveDidIt · 05/03/2021 09:32

Suzie sounds selfish and heartless and she's putting you in a terrible position. Do you actually want a shallow friend like that?

The circle of 3 friends is now damaged beyond repair and I think the only way forward unfortunately is to dump one of them, and for me that would be Suzie.

Londontown12 · 05/03/2021 09:41

Keep them separate !! This always happens when u try to group friends up ! And we you do meet them separately don’t tell them ! X

gardennome · 05/03/2021 09:43

Suzie does sound quite selfish and self-involved in the way you describe her. Do you enjoy that friendship / feel there's value in continuing it?

I can understand Sally feeling vulnerable and exposed.

I think in your shoes I'd be likely to keep arranging things with Sally as normal; making it clear to Suzi that she's welcome too, if she's able to be courteus and grown up.

If you enjoy it, then there's no reason not to meet up 1:1 with either of them, but you're not obligated to fulfil this 'listening' function for somebody self absorbed who just wants to talk about themself!

FEDUP1969 · 05/03/2021 10:00

Due to lockdown I haven't seen Suzie since the text messages with me asking her why she's fallen out with Sally. She didn't respond well to those text messages! But she has now sent the odd text message to Sally, not sure if she has had second thoughts, but I am not certainly arranging anyone with the three of us.

To be honest, I've known Suzie for around 30 years, and if the friendship fizzles out due to this, it fizzles out. I've had enough of her to be honest, she's quite a draining person. I'm always the one listening to her problems and I really don't know if she would be there for me in a crisis.

I'm also really fed up with her changing the subject abruptly if she thinks the conversation has gone on for too long ! Does anyone else's friends do that? It's really rude. She's done it with Sally for years and she's never been pulled up on it but when you are on receiving end of it, it's extremely annoying to say the least.

Sally is that paranoid now she thinks Suzie may disclose the secret to her family - that is how she is getting under her skin, which must be intentional.

OP posts:
Fuggly · 05/03/2021 10:00

Your last paragraph about Suzie is quite telling. She has obviously behaved like this in the past and it has affected her friendships.

Suzi, of course, has every right to decide that she no longer wants to be friends with Sally even if it seems wrong to you. However, what she is trying to do is manipulate you into dropping Sally too. That’s out of order. It would negatively affect how I felt about Suzie to be honest.

IamTotoro · 05/03/2021 10:15

Suzie doesn't have to be friends with Sally if she doesn't want to.

You don't have to be friends with Suzie if you don't want to.

Simple.

Onelifeonly · 05/03/2021 10:19

I'd focus on my friendship with Sally. Think about whether it's worth still seeing Susie, but if so, do it separately from Sally.

If either want to organise a meet up with all 3 of you, let them make that move and go if you want to.

I wouldn't tell either what the other thinks of them.

Sally's issue re the secret is hers. You can't resolve it for her or control what Susie does or doesn't do, so don't get involved. She has known Susie for ages and decided to tell her - she can't un-say it. She will have to come to terms with it.

FEDUP1969 · 05/03/2021 10:31

I hate conflict but this had to be brought up with Suzie. I don't know if the air will be cleared when or IF we do meet up but I am asking myself if I really want to be friends with someone who behaves so badly. And for her to excuse her behaviour by saying she's not my friend, she's yours is awful. I don't think she likes the fact that I am sticking up for Sally either.

I really thought things like this only happed with bitchy teenage girls, not a woman in her fifties!

I get the impression she has dropped some friends over the years but mostly they have dropped her. She thinks it's odd for people to have friends from school/college, which means she doesn't think there's anything odd about herself.

I think she must be acutely aware of all the friends she's lost and I've always got the impression she's tried to be on her best behaviour with me, but it's all gone downhill over the last year and she really has shown her true colours.

OP posts:
Monr0e · 05/03/2021 11:10

I think you are massively overthinking this.

Suzie has made it clear for a very long time she doesn't want to socialise with Sally. You should stop trying to force it.

Sally shouldn't have put you in the middle and asked you to speak to Suzie on her behalf. Also, the disclosure she made was over a year ago. I doubt Suzie, who by your description is very self absorbed, is going to suddenly start telling people about it. I doubt she's given it a second thought.

Just meet them individually, if Sally asks about Suzie just say you've not seen much of her either and change the subject.

sonjadog · 05/03/2021 11:15

Suzie is saying very clearly that she doesn't want to be friends with Sally. Stop arranging things with the three of you. Suzie doesn't want to spend time with Sally. If you want to see her, arrange to meet up with her alone or with her and other people. See Sally separately.

hereyehearye · 05/03/2021 11:18

I'm confused. Why do you have to meet as a three? Are you their mother?

They aren't friends. Move on.

IamTotoro · 05/03/2021 11:19

@Monr0e

I think you are massively overthinking this.

Suzie has made it clear for a very long time she doesn't want to socialise with Sally. You should stop trying to force it.

Sally shouldn't have put you in the middle and asked you to speak to Suzie on her behalf. Also, the disclosure she made was over a year ago. I doubt Suzie, who by your description is very self absorbed, is going to suddenly start telling people about it. I doubt she's given it a second thought.

Just meet them individually, if Sally asks about Suzie just say you've not seen much of her either and change the subject.

I agree.

NotAgainNoMore · 05/03/2021 13:39

I was in a similar situation. We all met at a group activity which lasted 3 mths. When it ended, we'd regularly meet up and it was a really nice and balanced 3some. A couple of years down the line, the cracks began to show between the other 2 and little comments were made to me.
I flat out refused to get drawn in. Then came the 'if she's going, I'll give it a miss'. Then one of them told me outright what she thought of the other and I simply replied, 'fair enough, but I'm still seeing her'.
After that she distanced herself from me, despite attempts to go out 1-1. Don't hear from her at all now and it's no big loss.
You are all adults. You can choose who your friends are. If Sally is worried about Suzie spilling the beans then she needs to deal with it. No one held a gun to her head. You are not responsible.

FEDUP1969 · 05/03/2021 14:04

This friendship group is 10 years old now and Suzie always contacted Sally to arrange things with us both so she did make her her friend. I don’t understand why she’s waited 10 years to ditch her. Is this normal? With no argument or falling out?

I need to get a grip and stop letting her get under my skin! I actually said this to Sally when I last saw her and advised her to not be waiting for Suzie to contact her and just live life (difficult at the moment I know). Suzie has a very sad and lonely life yet she still treats people like this! It doesn’t make any sense.

OP posts:
FEDUP1969 · 05/03/2021 14:23

My gut feeling is she will ditch me soon for daring to tackle her on this and that’s fine by me. That’s sad isn’t it after a 3O year friendship.

OP posts:
sonjadog · 05/03/2021 15:36

I think it is quite normal. People change over time and friendships can drift apart. It doesn't have to be dramatic, just people moving in different directions and changing in ways that means they are no longer compatible.

cuddlymunchkin · 05/03/2021 15:43

I don't see why you can't see friends one to one. The previous poster who made it clear that she dumped her friend because she wanted to go out one to one rather than as a three - bit weird, yes? Why the emphasis on group only?

Sakurami · 05/03/2021 15:45

I think that it is fine for suzie not to want to be friends with sally. You're fine to be friends with both of them if it is what you want, but in the same way that suzie has made it clear she doesn't want to be friends with sally, you can do the same to suzie if you no longer fancy being friends (and not feel like a bitch because she does it to people).

Suzie doesn't sound like the kind of person I'd like being friends with, though.

billy1966 · 05/03/2021 16:42

Suzie doesn't like Sally and you don't really like Suzie.

Why are you flogging a dead horse.

Just because you know someone 30 years doesn't mean you have to be friends with them.

All you share is history with Suzie, certainly not a friendship from how you describe her.

Pull back.
Flowers

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