My best friend, who is 27, invited my emotionally abusive husband, who is 25, to spend time together.
To begin with, I was married to my husband for three challenging years. It was a profoundly difficult period, marked by his manipulative and emotionally abusive behavior. I often felt like I was losing my grip on reality and struggled to find the courage to leave him. When my best friend was preparing to move away, I had a mental breakdown at her farewell party. I opened up to her about everything I had endured. She revealed that she had never liked my husband and encouraged me to leave him. She even suggested that I consider moving to her new location, a place I had always dreamed of living. It took me another six months, but I eventually found the strength to leave. Whenever I had second thoughts or contemplated staying, my best friend was there to remind me that I was caught in a cycle of abuse. Her support was invaluable, and I did end up relocating to where she was. However, things took a turn when she attended a wedding back in our hometown. The night before, she and three other girls went to a pumpkin patch, and I noticed that all the pictures she posted on social media included my ex-husband. At first, I didn’t think much of it, assuming some of their husbands were there too. But later, I learned that none of the other husbands had attended—just those four girls and him. When my friend returned, I asked her how he got invited, and she confessed that she had invited him because she “felt bad.” She didn’t elaborate on her reasoning, and I was too shocked to ask for more details. Discovering this made me feel betrayed and invalidated regarding my experiences. I haven't shared these feelings with her yet, and I'm uncertain if my reaction is justified. As a result, I find myself hesitant to spend time with her. Am I overreacting? How should I approach this situation moving forward?