Writing Prompt: Write a letter to the person or situation that has caused you resentment. Express your feelings honestly and openly, releasing any pent-up emotions.
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To Franchesca “Frankie” K. Waldron,
I know that this letter will never find you. Nonetheless, there are emotions boiling within me that can’t be buried anymore, and this letter serves as my release for them. It’s been three months since the truth finally surfaced, since the veil of deception was lifted. Yet, the wound remains fresh, festering within me. It’s time to start acknowledging this pent-up feeling and let you know the impact you’ve had on my life.
You were my best friend, or at least that’s what I stupidly believed. We were confidants. Partners in crime. We shared secrets, dreams, and aspirations. I trusted you implicitly with my insecurities, my vulnerabilities, and even my heart. I blindly believed that our bond was unbreakable. But then, you shattered that trust into a million irreparable pieces. How could you take such a treasured connection and defile it with deceit? How could you do this to me? How could you betray the sanctity of our sisterhood? I loved you. I adored you. I would’ve gone through the seven levels of hell and back for you. I would have NEVER done this to you! NEVER!
Discovering that you had a one-night stand with my ex-fiancé, of all people, was like a devastating earthquake shaking the foundation of my entire existence. You knew the weight of this secret, and yet you chose to hide it for FOUR fucking years, allowing me to continue building a life with someone who had already tainted our bond. The fact that you concealed something of this magnitude for years, watching me bask in ignorance and make life-altering decisions based on this lie, is something I will NEVER understand or forgive. And the only reason you admitted to it is because I found out and called you out on it. Otherwise, you’d still be smiling in my face and lying through your teeth to this very moment. That is unacceptable and unforgivable. I cannot fathom the reasons behind your decision to keep this from me, as it gnawed at the very foundations of our friendship. The overwhelming pain of this betrayal left me questioning everything I thought I knew about you, myself, and my life.
But what hurt the most, my former friend, was not just the act itself, but the aftermath. Initially, you were remorseful and apologetic. But after being called out about more lies that I discovered from the both of you, that’s when you flipped the script. Suddenly, you were the wronged person in the situation. When confronted with the truth, you deflected blame onto everyone else, even me. The audacity to victimize yourself in this debacle, as if you were just an innocent bystander. Gaslighting me, making me question my own sanity and perception, driving me into a state of depression that I never thought possible. I was left bewildered and suicidal, lost in a maze of your callousness and deceit.
You dredged up irrelevant past situations, attempting to point the finger away from your own actions. You decided to choose that particular moment to suddenly address grievances from years ago that you never uttered a word about before. But two wrongs don’t make a right. Trying to shift the blame was a pathetic excuse to escape accountability. You can continue to justify, rationalize, and minimize your role however you want if that’s what helps you sleep at night. Whether you ever admit it or not, you are just as guilty and foul for what you did. Arguments can be made that your part in the transgression was worse because it violated the Girl Code on every level imaginable. Relationships come and go. But a real friend would have never done this. And in case you’re wondering if I’m also blaming him for what happened, the answer is yes. I made sure people knew exactly what the two of you did behind my back. He’s lost friendships, trust, and respect from many people as the result of it. You knew the same would happen with you, which is why you cut yourself off from everybody in our circle after being confronted.
Your condescending apology was like rubbing salt in a fresh wound. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.” I can’t believe you had the nerve to say that to me, bitch. The unmitigated gall to acknowledge my pain while sidestepping your own responsibility in causing it. Claiming that you love me and that you’ll be there to support me through this, as if you weren’t 50% of the problem. As if it wasn’t your actions that shattered the foundation of trust that held us together. It was a bold, outrageous, and disgusting insult to the pain you’d already caused. Your words cut deep, confirming that the friend I once loved had now become a stranger.
But I want you to know, despite the seething anger that courses through my veins, I refuse to let it consume me indefinitely. This resentment, like a caged beast, will eventually be released. I won’t allow it to define me or dictate my future happiness. It won’t happen overnight. I can’t tell you exactly when the burdens of these emotions will finally dissipate. But I can assure you, my former friend, that I will rise above this pain and find the strength to let go.
This letter is not a plea for more of your fake sympathy or an invitation for further discussion. I know that you don’t give a damn about me or the havoc you wreaked. You’ve proven yourself to be a trifling, backstabbing sociopath and any attempts to get you to understand the damage that has been done would be a waste of energy. I’m writing this to simply validate my pain, communicate my emotions truthfully and candidly, and begin the process of reclaiming my peace. In time, I will heal. In time, I will rebuild my life, my trust, and my happiness.
With a heavy heart, I bid you farewell. As insane as this will sound, I really did want to find some way to put this behind us and continue our friendship, but that was just me being in denial about the damage that’s been done. I tried desperately to accept your version of what happened because I couldn’t imagine life without you, but that only made me spiral out of control with depression and rage. Real friends just don’t do this shit to each other. I didn’t deserve this. You can claim that I’m not perfect and I’m not as innocent as I claim to be. You can throw my mistakes and choices in my face if that makes you feel better. But no matter how you try to twist this, none of that justifies keeping this monumental secret while you spent nights in my home and bummed money off of me. None of that excuses the choice you made every single day to smile in my face while hiding the knife behind your back. It doesn’t change the fact that you should have told me the goddamn truth. That’s the most fucked up part of this situation. That’s the part that enrages me the most. That’s the part that makes it impossible to ever reconcile with you. I have no interest in repairing a bond that I didn’t destroy. It’s a disgrace and a shame that I called you my best friend, but you were never a friend of mine.
While our paths may never cross again, I hope that you find the strength to confront the demons within you. To find the decency to face the consequences of your actions and grow from them. I wish you the clarity to understand the pain you’ve caused, not just to me, but to yourself as well.
Goodbye, Franchesca K. Waldron. May life teach you the lessons you so desperately need to learn.
Sincerely,
Your former friend
P.S.,
You kept saying it was okay if I wanted to curse you out and call you names. Since I was too consumed by depression and denial to do it before…I hope you rot in hell, you selfish, conniving, worthless bitch. You’re a disgusting excuse of a human being. If I never see you again in my life, it would be too fucking soon. How does that old saying go? “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Well, that was a lesson learned the hard way after dealing with you. The blinders are off and I see you now for the despicable and vapid snake you truly are. If you really didn’t want the sex to happen, then why the hell did you open your legs for him, you stupid skank? Befriending you was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. The fact that I ever loved and cared for you makes me sick to my stomach. You didn’t deserve my goodness. You didn’t deserve my kindness or affection. You are unforgivable and unredeemable. I hope all this bullshit was worth it. I hate you. You’re dead to me.
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I chose this writing prompt because it resonates deeply with my current struggles and emotions. The journey of healing is not as straightforward as we’d like it to be. Today just happened to be one of those challenging days where anger and resentment consumed me. This prompt provided a healthy outlet for me to confront and acknowledge my feelings, allowing me to address the person who has been the source of my anger. It provided me with a cathartic release, giving me an opportunity to express my emotions in a constructive manner. It helped me take a step towards self-reflection and grant myself the space to confront and process my feelings honestly. Do I feel better? Momentarily, yes. Will it this be the last time I address this particular issue? More than likely, no. But all I can do is grant myself some grace and take this healing journey one day at a time.
Minor Inkrements 