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 invite for months.

"Finally!" Emily grinned, leaning in to look. "What's the date?"

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

My name was the only one on it.

No plus-one. No I "& Emily." Just me.

I frowned. "That's… weird."

Emily laughed. "Did he forget to put my name? Maybe Clare handled the invites?"

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 had spent years celebrating birthdays, holidays, and vacations together. She had helped Jake pick out Clare's engagement ring. She even helped plan his damn bachelor party.

I grabbed my phone and shot Jake a quick text. Hey, man, I think there's a mistake with my invite. Emily's name isn't on it.

The typing bubble popped up. Then disappeared. Then popped up again.

Finally, a response:

"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 stormed off, my mind racing. Jake. My best friend. The guy I'd known for over a decade. The guy who was practically family.

And this was how he treated me?

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

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

His smile wavered. "Uh—now?"

"Yes. Right 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 demanded. "Why does every groomsman get a plus-one except me? Why wasn't Emily invited?"

Jake exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He wouldn't meet my eyes. Guilt.

Before he could say a word, Clare walked over, arms crossed, lips curled into a smug smirk. "Because," she said coolly, "Lisa would lose her mind, that's why."

I blinked. "Lisa?"

Jake flinched. "Dude—"

Clare cut him off with a dramatic sigh. "Lisa's been obsessed with you since the engagement party. She thinks you two are, like, destined or something."

She waved a hand as if this was some minor inconvenience. "She's been struggling a lot lately, and honestly? We didn't want any drama at the wedding."

I felt sick. "Wait. So let me get this straight. You purposely uninvited my girlfriend… to keep one of the bridesmaids happy?"

"She gets really jealous," Clare said as if that justified this insanity.

I let out a sharp, 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 been going through some stuff, and we figured if you came alone, it would keep things simple."

Keep things simple.

I stared at him, my blood boiling. "Are you even hearing yourself right now?"

Jake sighed. "It's not personal, man—"

I took a step closer. "Not personal? You think Emily's gonna see it that way? You think I see it that way?"

Clare scoffed. "Oh, come on. You know Lisa's fragile. We're just trying to be considerate."

"Considerate?" My voice rose. "You're considerate of Lisa, but you don't give a damn about how this affects Emily? Or me?"

Clare rolled her eyes, but Jake looked genuinely torn. "I know it's not ideal, but—"

"No," I snapped. "It's not just 'not ideal.' It's disrespectful. It's insulting."