Husband’s former best friend became his best man. But during his wedding speech, he insulted me as naive and only loving my husband because he was my first. So, I took the mic and exposed that he had HIV, which made his fianceé throw a ring at him and leave.

To start with, Nate is my husband and Tom is his best friend. I first met Nate during our college years. He was 2 years older than me and we crossed paths at a college party. At the time, Nate and his friend Tom were quite infamous on campus. They had garnered a reputation as playboys, the kind of guys you’d hear whispers about in hallways and dorm rooms for girls to avoid.

My friends were very clear in their warnings to steer clear of them, and I intended to follow that advice. In fact, I was consciously avoiding Nate and Tom at that party, making a point to keep my distance. But then Nate approached me. He had a natural charisma that was hard to ignore. He wasn’t just smooth talking, he was also kind and genuinely interested in getting to know me.

Despite my reservations, I was quite charmed by him, but didn’t take things forward after that party as I wasn’t sure. Nate, however, didn’t give up. For days, he kept finding ways to cross paths with me or strike up a conversation, always with that same warm and eager demeanor. Eventually, I found myself softening toward him. Against my initial judgment, I agreed to go on a single date with him, fully expecting it to be nothing more than a casual one-time meeting.

To my surprise, Nate exceeded every expectation I had. He was very honest with me throughout our date. He was upfront about the reputation he had in our college, addressing it without defensiveness. It was refreshing and showed a side of him I hadn’t anticipated, a mature, self-aware, and thoughtful side.

After that date, we started meeting up more often, spending time together, and truly getting to know each other. As the days turned into weeks, our bond grew deeper, and I began to see the real Nate. He was more than what people talked about him, and I slowly started to like him.

Throughout this budding relationship, Nate’s best friend and roommate, Tom, made it clear that he disliked me. Both men shared an apartment during college, splitting rent and spending a lot of time together. So, naturally, I saw Tom frequently whenever I went over to visit Nate.

From the very beginning, Tom made it clear that he wasn’t particularly thrilled about my presence in Nate’s life. Whenever Nate and I were together, Tom would scoff, rolling his eyes dramatically or making off-handed comments about how Nate was getting boring for spending too much time with just one woman.

(…)

Update two.

This week, me and Nate got married and I finally got to meet Tom and his fiance, Georgia. Just a warning, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

You see, initially during the wedding, Tom seemed polite and cordial towards me. His fianceé was bubbling with excitement about her own wedding plans. It was during the reception when the real trouble began.

As the drinks flowed and everyone began to loosen up, the atmosphere was festive. Nate and I were having an incredible time, reveling in the spotlight. This is when Tom got up to deliver his best man speech. At first, it was exactly what we expected: funny, sentimental, stories about Nate. But then, he brought me into it.

He described me as naive when I first joined college, emphasizing how I had no experience in the dating department. Then to my shock, he brought up how I was a virgin back then and insinuated that I only fell in love with Nate because he was the first person who ever touched me.

The part that truly stung was when Tom went on to say in his speech that Nate was the best I could ever do, implying that I had clung to him out of desperation since I had no other options.

The room fell into awkward silence. Nate stood up, furious, and snatched the microphone from Tom. But Tom just smirked and said, “Well, it’s not like I spoke any lies.”

That was it for me. I took the mic from Nate. I turned to Tom and said, steady and calm:

“Well, Tom, you seem to have such vivid memories of me, but I have some pretty interesting memories of you too. In fact, I remember how you once got HIV after sleeping with a prostitute. I remember how people found out about this and women started avoiding you in college after that.”

The room froze. Gasps echoed. Tom’s fianceé turned to him and asked in disbelief: “Tom… is this true?”

He tried to deny, then stammered, then finally admitted it. She screamed at him, hurled her engagement ring at his face, and stormed out. Tom chased after her, begging, but it was too late.

The wedding guests were stunned. But no one was angry at me. They saw what Tom had done and why I stood up for myself. Even Nate apologized to me for ever inviting Tom into our lives again.

(…)

Update three.

First off, I understand why people say what Tom did could be considered criminal, especially not disclosing his HIV to his fianceé. If Georgia pursues it, I fully support her.

As for me, I don’t regret defending myself. Tom humiliated me at my own wedding. I wasn’t going to stay silent. If the truth coming out also saved Georgia from marrying a liar, then maybe it was for the best.

Now Nate and I are on our honeymoon, finally at peace. And Tom is out of our lives for good.