My Husband’s Girl Best Friend Told Me He’s Only With Me Because She Was Married

The Consolation Prize

My husband’s girl best friend told me he’s only with me because she was married. So I shattered her delusions and showed her exactly why he chose me to be his wife.

My husband’s best friend Lily pulled me aside at our anniversary party and destroyed my entire marriage with one conversation. She’d been drinking champagne all night, getting louder and touchier with my husband, Jar.

I’d watched them laugh at inside jokes for three hours while I played hostess to 40 guests celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. When I finally got a moment alone in the kitchen, she followed me, leaning against the counter with this strange smile.

“You know you’re just the consolation prize, right?” she said, swirling her glass.

I asked what she meant.

She laughed, not mean exactly but pitying.

“Jamar proposed to me first eight years ago.” “We were together all through college and two years after.” “He had this whole elaborate plan at the botanical gardens with my favorite flowers everywhere.” “I said no because I was already engaged to Bradley.”

Jar didn’t know about Bradley. We’d been long distance and I never mentioned him because I loved having Jar as my backup plan.

She took another sip.

“He was absolutely destroyed, cried for weeks.” “Then three months later he met you at that conference and married you within a year.” “He needed someone, anyone, to prove he could be chosen.” “You were available and eager, that’s all.”

I stood there holding a stack of dirty plates while she explained how she kept Jar close all these years because she enjoyed knowing he still wanted what he couldn’t have. She explained how she’d test him sometimes with little touches and comments and watch his eyes follow her across rooms.

“Bradley and I divorced last year,” she continued.

“Jar knows, he’s been weird ever since, probably wondering if he made the wrong choice.”

Then she patted my shoulder and walked back to the party. I spent the next two weeks watching everything differently.

Jamar did stare at Lily when she visited. He did text her constantly, more than he texted me.

He kept a box of her college photos in his office drawer. When I brought up maybe seeing less of Lily, he got defensive.

He said I was being controlling and insecure. He said she was family to him and I needed to accept that.

Fine. I started working late, stopped cooking his favorite meals, and stopped asking about his day.

He didn’t notice for a month. When he finally asked if something was wrong, I said no, just busy with the new project at work.

He seemed relieved not to discuss it further. Two months passed like this.

Then Lily started showing up more often for Sunday dinners and random Tuesday movie nights. She’d sit between us on the couch.

She’d cook in our kitchen wearing tiny shorts and Jar’s old college sweatshirt. I said nothing.

Three months after the anniversary party, I came home early from a canceled meeting. Jar’s car was in the driveway next to Lily’s.

I walked in quietly. They were in the living room, not touching but sitting close on the floor going through photo albums.

College photos.

“Remember this?” Lily kept saying.

“Remember that night?” “Remember when we thought we’d be together forever?”

Jar was smiling in a way I hadn’t seen in years, young and alive.

Then Lily said, “I made a mistake choosing Bradley, we both know that now.”

Jar didn’t disagree. He just kept looking at the photos.

That’s when I walked in. They jumped apart like teenagers.

I said I forgot some files and went to the office. Twenty minutes later, Jamar knocked.

“That wasn’t what it looked like,” he said.

“We were just reminiscing.”

I nodded and kept working.

“Lily’s been going through a hard time since the divorce,” he continued.

“She needs friends right now.”

I said, “Okay.” And turned back to my computer.

He stood there for another minute then left. The next morning I called Lily’s ex-husband, Bradley.

I found him on LinkedIn and sent a message saying I needed to discuss something important about Lily and Jar. He called me within an hour.