My friend hid her new boyfriend from me, and when I finally saw him, I was horrified

My best friend had been hiding something from me, and I couldn’t figure out what. When I finally met her new boyfriend, I was paralyzed. The person I’d been keeping a secret turned out to be someone I never expected, and it would change everything between us.

When you’re over 40, and your children have grown up and left the nest, you may be like me, divorced, with distant parents or those who are no longer with us.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

Whether you like it or not, there comes a time when you feel completely alone. In those moments, it’s your closest friends who ultimately save you.

My friends from high school and college were scattered all over the country, and while we kept in touch, online chats aren’t the same as meeting up in person.

But at some point, life gave me a gift in the form of Samantha. She was my new coworker and quickly became my best friend.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

He was a few years younger, but let’s face it, the older you get, the less that age difference matters.

I didn’t feel like there was much difference between us. It was as if we’d known each other for years.

Samantha and I really hit it off in just a few months. We joked around at work, which made things less stressful, and after work, we hung out.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

I remember one day a new guy, Robert, joined our team, and Samantha moved her chair closer to mine.

“Look at him, he’s hot,” he whispered in my ear.

I laughed. “Are you kidding me? He’s like 30, maybe younger,” I said.

“Well, so what?” Samantha replied.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“We’re at least 15 years apart,” I said.

“Well, I’m only 9 years older than him. It’s not that much,” Samantha said, and I shook my head.

Samantha was much more daring and open than I was. I could never have a relationship with someone much younger than me, but it wasn’t a problem for her.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

Still, for some reason, Robert kept hanging around our desks. At first, I thought he was interested in Samantha, but then, to my surprise, I realized he was flirting with me.

One afternoon, when almost everyone had left, Robert came over to my table and stood there, looking at me with a smile, which was… a little creepy, I have to admit.

“Do you need… anything?” I asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“Oh, sorry, I probably sound weird. I was just a little nervous,” Robert said.

“So…”.

“Sure, yes. Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?” he asked.

“Like a date?” I clarified.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Yes,” Robert agreed.

“Listen, you’re sweet and very attractive, but I’m much older than you,” I said.

“I don’t care about age,” Robert said.

“I have a son almost your age, so I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“Take your time,” Robert said. “But know that I’ll be waiting for you if you change your mind.” He winked at me and left.

Robert continued to pay attention to me, even giving me flowers a couple of times, but I stood my ground.

Meanwhile, Samantha found out and kept pestering me about it, insisting I go on a date with him.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

The worst part was that I really liked Robert, and when Samantha would say things like, “Then I’ll start dating him if you don’t want me to,” it made me feel so hurt.

Even though I couldn’t afford to be with Robert, it would have been painful to see my best friend dating him.

“Promise me you won’t,” I said.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“I promise,” Samantha replied, taking my hand.

But soon after, Samantha’s demeanor changed. Suddenly, she no longer had time for our encounters, and she was practically beaming with happiness, and I had a feeling I knew why.

So one time when we were sitting at my house watching movies, I asked him, “Are you dating anyone?”

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“What? Where did you get that idea?” Samantha asked uncomfortably.

“Are you kidding? You’ve been beaming with happiness lately,” I said.

“Is it that obvious?” Samantha asked, her cheeks flushed.

“Oh my God, you’re acting like a lovesick teenager. I want to know everything about him,” I yelled.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

Samantha started talking about how amazing her boyfriend was and how happy she was with him. But she avoided naming him or giving details.

“So, when are you going to introduce us?” I asked.

“Not yet,” Samantha said.

“Why? Are you hiding this from me?” I asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“I’m afraid of your reaction… there’s a bit of an age gap between us,” Samantha said.

“I promise I’ll react well. You’re the one dating him, not me. I want you to be happy,” I told her.

“Okay,” Samantha nodded.

But time passed, and Samantha still didn’t think about introducing us. She didn’t even show me her photo.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

To be honest, I started to worry about her. Maybe I wasn’t as good as she thought. Why else would she want us to get to know each other?

One night my son Brody came over and I decided to talk to him about the issue, to see if he, as a man, could understand the situation better.

“I think you should be patient and wait until she’s ready to introduce you,” Brody said.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“But I’m worried about her. What if she hurts him?” I asked.

“I’m sure everything’s going well. She’s just not ready to introduce you yet,” Brody said.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

I looked at this mature, wise man, and I could hardly believe that just a few years ago he was running around the backyard, covered in mud, playing with a ball.

And even though no one else could see him anymore, I still saw that little boy in him.

One day, while strolling through a mall looking for a dress for a work event, I saw Samantha holding hands with a man.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

They turned their backs on me, but I decided to approach him and finally meet him. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but I was dying to know who Samantha was seeing.

As I walked toward them, they stopped next to a coffee stand and turned around. When I finally realized who it was, I froze. I couldn’t believe it was real.

I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to start dating him and keep it from me.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

Standing next to Samantha, holding her hand and kissing it from time to time, was… MY SON!

Brody looked at her with the same loving eyes she had for him. Inside, I felt a burning rage. How dare she date my son? My 24-year-old son!

I marched furiously toward them, and when they finally saw me, their faces turned pale.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Is that why you didn’t want to introduce us? Because we already know each other?” I yelled at Samantha.

“Carol, I can explain everything,” Samantha replied, frightened.

“Explain it? Explain that you’re dating my son?!” I continued yelling.

“Mom, calm down, please, people are watching,” Brody said.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“How am I supposed to calm down?! How can you go out with a woman so much older than you?!” I yelled.

“I’m an adult now, so I don’t understand why you’re reacting this way. I’m happy with Samantha and I love her,” Brody said.

“Do you love her? She’s almost my age, and I’m your mother! She’s my best friend!” I yelled.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“I know, but you can’t control love,” Brody said.

“You seduced him and forced him to go out with you, right?” I yelled at Samantha.

“I didn’t seduce anyone. We both entered into this relationship of our own free will,” Samantha said. “Carol, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way,” she added.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“How did you expect this to go? That my son said he was bringing a girl to dinner and it was you?” I yelled.

“I don’t know…” Samantha whispered.

“Stop yelling at my girlfriend. We’re all adults and we can choose who we date,” Brody said sternly, then grabbed Samantha by the hand and led her away.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

I stood there, stunned. I couldn’t believe what I had just seen, what had just happened. My best friend was dating my son! I felt like I was going crazy.

I cried all the way home, and when I got home, I saw Robert there. I got out of the car and walked over to him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“I remembered you said your garden hose broke, so I came to help you fix it,” Robert said. “Are you okay?” he asked, seeing my tear-stained face.

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” I said.

“What happened?” Robert asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“I just found out that Samantha is dating my son and she’d been keeping it a secret from me,” I said.

“Well, it’s not good that I kept this from you. I’m sure it hurts,” Robert said.

“I’m more concerned about the fact that there’s a 15-year age gap and that this is my son and my best friend,” I said.

“Is it really that serious?” Robert asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

“What? It’s horrible!” I said.

“You just don’t allow it. Why is it okay for men to date younger women, but if it’s the other way around, it’s terrible? Would it be so horrible if, hypothetically, we were dating?” Robert said.

“I don’t know. I really like you, but the age difference…” I said.

“I like you too, and Samantha and your son like each other, so why not give it a try?” Robert asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Brody even said he loves her,” I said. “My son,” I clarified, since Robert didn’t know his name.

“Look, people don’t just throw around words like that for no reason,” Robert said.

And I realized he was right. If they truly loved each other, who was I to stand in their way?

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Thank you, you’ve helped me a lot,” I said and quickly headed to my car.

“And me?” Robert called me.

“We can go on a date… give it a try,” I said, turning to Robert. He gave me a wide smile. I smiled back, got in the car, and drove to the house where Brody lived.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

I jumped out of the car, ran to the door, and knocked loudly. Brody opened it almost immediately, but his face soured when he saw me.

“What? Are you here again to tell us how horrible we are?” he asked.

“No, I came to apologize,” I said. “I’m really sorry for how I reacted. I’ll try to understand it better from now on. Would you and Samantha like to come over for dinner?” I asked.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Dude, I’m walking into your house like it’s my own, so why the formal invitation?” Samantha said, peeking over Brody’s shoulder.

He came out and hugged me. “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear.

“I’m sorry. I want you to be happy,” I said, holding her tighter.

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

For illustrative purposes only | Source: Sora

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If you liked this story, read this one: I thought I’d found the perfect man, the one who made me believe in love again. But when his true intentions came to light, everything changed. What I discovered destroyed not only my dreams, but also the future I had imagined with him.

This piece is inspired by stories from our readers’ everyday lives and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us

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