My Best Friend Of 15 Years Thinks My Boyfriend Is Her Soulmate. She Crashed His Family Dinner And Refused To Leave. Am I Losing My Best Friend Or My Mind?

The Verdict

The judge asked her to step down and called Alex to testify. I could see his hands shaking as he walked up to the stand.

His voice was quiet at first and the judge had to ask him to speak up. He described how scared he’d felt when Jasmine started showing up at his work and his gym.

He talked about changing his entire routine, looking over his shoulder constantly, feeling unsafe in places that used to be normal parts of his day. He said he’d stopped going out with friends because he was worried she’d show up.

That he’d started having anxiety about leaving his apartment because he never knew where she might appear next. His voice cracked when he talked about the night she showed up at his parents’ house and how violated he felt that she’d tracked down their address and invaded his family’s home.

The whole time Alex was speaking I was watching Jasmine’s face and she was smiling, actually smiling like he was declaring his love instead of describing how much fear and stress she’d caused him. She had this soft dreamy look in her eyes like she was watching a romantic scene in a movie, completely disconnected from the reality of what he was actually saying.

The judge noticed too because she kept glancing at Jasmine with this increasingly concerned expression. When Alex finished testifying, the judge asked Jasmine to stand and she looked directly at her and asked in a very clear firm voice if Jasmine understood that Alex did not want any contact with her.

Jasmine’s smile didn’t waver and she said that what Alex says and what he really feels are two different things. That she can see the truth in his eyes even when his words say something else.

That their connection goes deeper than what can be expressed in a courtroom setting. The judge’s expression went from concerned to hard in about 2 seconds.

She said that she’d heard enough. She granted a three-year restraining order requiring Jasmine to stay 500 ft away from me, from Alex, from both our apartments, from both our workplaces, and from Alex’s parents’ home.

Jasmine’s face crumpled and she started crying, saying the judge didn’t understand that this was all a huge mistake. That she and Alex just needed time to work things out without interference.

Her lawyer put a hand on her arm trying to calm her down but Jasmine kept talking, her voice getting louder and more desperate as she insisted that real love couldn’t be stopped by a piece of paper. The bailiff stepped forward and Jasmine’s lawyer physically guided her toward the exit while she was still crying and protesting.

We walked out into the courthouse hallway and I felt shaky with relief and exhaustion, like I’d been holding my breath for weeks and could finally let it out.

Jasmine’s parents were waiting outside the courtroom and they approached us looking completely broken. Her mom had tears running down her face and she kept apologizing, saying they had no idea things had gotten this bad because Jasmine had told them Alex was her boyfriend and I was just jealous.

Her dad looked about 10 years older than the last time I’d seen him at a barbecue 6 months ago. He said they were taking her to get a full psychiatric evaluation that day because clearly something was very wrong.

I could see they were grieving too, mourning the daughter they thought they knew and trying to accept this stranger who’d replaced her. Her mom reached out like she wanted to hug me then pulled back and she said she was so sorry for everything Jasmine had put us through.

They’d make sure she got the help she needed. They walked away toward where Jasmine was standing with her lawyer near the elevators and I watched them put their arms around her while she cried into her mom’s shoulder.

The Aftermath

Lincoln pulled us aside and explained that violating the restraining order was a criminal offense that would result in immediate arrest and possible jail time. He said we needed to document any attempted contact no matter how small, save every text or voicemail or social media message and report it to the police right away.

He warned us that the next few weeks would be the highest risk period because that’s when people either accept the reality of the order or escalate in a last attempt to make contact. We thanked him and walked out of the courthouse into bright sunshine that felt surreal after the fluorescent lights and heavy atmosphere inside.

That night Alex and I ordered Chinese food and sat on my couch in complete silence for almost an hour. We were both too exhausted to talk and I kept replaying moments from the hearing in my head.

Seeing Jasmine’s face when Alex testified about being scared, hearing her insist that she knew his real feelings better than he did. Alex finally broke the silence and said he felt like he could breathe for the first time in weeks.

That having the legal protection made him feel safer even though he knew a piece of paper couldn’t physically stop her. I realized my shoulders were up near my ears and when I tried to relax them they actually hurt from holding so much tension for so long.

The next few days were quiet in a way that felt almost wrong. I kept expecting my phone to ring with Jasmine’s number or to see her car parked outside my apartment and every time I heard footsteps in the hallway I tensed up waiting for a knock that never came.

The absence of constant crisis was almost as stressful as the chaos had been because I didn’t trust that it was really over. Couldn’t quite believe that the restraining order would actually stop her when nothing else had.

A week after the restraining order, my phone buzzed with a text from Myra. She sent me a screenshot of a friend request from Jasmine on Instagram with a long message attached.

The message rambled about how everyone had abandoned her when she needed them most and how she thought real friends would stand by her through anything. Myra had blocked her immediately and reported it to both me and Alex.

I stared at the screenshot feeling this weird mix of relief and sadness because at least our friends were finally taking this seriously instead of questioning whether Jasmine might have a point. Myra texted that she felt stupid for ever doubting me and that seeing Jasmine try to manipulate her way back into their lives made her realize how sick Jasmine really was.

Three days later Alex got an email from his workplace security with an update. Jasmine hadn’t attempted to enter the building since the restraining order was served.

The security team had circulated her photo to all the guards and updated the access system to flag her immediately if she tried to enter any company property. Quentyn stopped by Alex’s desk that afternoon and mentioned that word had spread around the office about what happened.

Alex’s face went red and he looked down at his keyboard because he hated being the center of attention and the idea of his co-workers knowing his personal business made him want to disappear. But Quentyn said everyone was looking out for him now and if anyone saw Jasmine anywhere near the building they’d report it right away.

That night Alex told me he’d actually gotten emotional in the bathroom at work because people cared enough to protect him and he wasn’t used to that kind of support from anyone except me. 2 weeks after the hearing I was making dinner when Jasmine’s mom called.