AIW – My friend told me she loves me 4 weeks before her marriage?

A 35-year-old widower, still healing from the loss of his wife, received a bombshell from his childhood friend B: she loves him, just weeks before her wedding. B, who’s been a supportive presence for him and his young daughter, confessed she’s unsure about her upcoming marriage, believing they’re meant to be. Caught off guard, he’s clear he doesn’t share her feelings and is focused on his grief and fatherhood, but her plea for secrecy leaves him wrestling with guilt.

This Reddit story dives into a messy web of friendship, loyalty, and unspoken truths. The man’s decision to stay silent about B’s confession weighs heavily, as her fiancé—a good friend—remains unaware. Readers are gripped by the moral quandary: is he wrong for keeping her secret, or is it not his place to interfere? The stakes feel personal and universal all at once.

‘AIW – My friend told me she loves me 4 weeks before her marriage?’

My (35M) friend B (35F) just told me she loves me 4 weeks before her marriage, and I am not sure what I am supposed to do here. I want to know if I am doing the right thing. To give some context, I lost my wife 2 years ago. I have a 5-year-old daughter. I have not dated in the last 2 years because I have major trauma from losing my wife.

I still love her a lot and don't think I am ready to move on. I invested all my time in my daughter (who looks exactly like her mother) and my work to keep my sanity for the last 2 years. I have been friends with B since we were in elementary school. We lived in the same neighborhood growing up and were best friends.

She is an awesome person, and we were inseparable growing up. The weirdest part was we had completely different personalities. She was very outgoing and always had a lot of friends. I am a big introvert and B along with a few friends was all I needed. B was a serial-dater and I don't remember any time since middle school since she was single. B and I never dated though.

B and I also went to the same college. She never had a stable boyfriend, but just jumped from one relationship to another. I, on the other hand, did not date seriously until I was in my junior year. When I met my wife, she was a freshman and we hit it off instantly. We fell for each other and spent all our time with each other.

This strained my relationship with B as I would generally hang out with my wife instead of her. That was the time B and I slowly started drifting apart. After college, I moved to a different town for my job, and B and I occasionally messaged each other, but nothing beyond that. B attended my wedding and that was the last time I saw her.

We kept in touch, but mostly by commenting on each other's pictures or keeping each other updated on significant life events. B did reach out to me when my wife passed away and we talked on a phone call. Last year, B and her fiancé moved to my city. I was still grieving, and both have been amazing support for me and my daughter.

My daughter loves dancing, and B helped me enroll her in dancing and gymnastics classes and sometimes takes her to them. I also became good friends with her fiancé, who is indeed an incredibly good man. My daughter also loves Aunty B and B sometimes helps me babysit. Last week, B came to my house and asked if we could talk. Her tone sounded serious.

She told me that over the last few months, she feels like she has started to develop feelings for me and is not sure anymore if she wants to go ahead with the wedding. She felt I also had started developing feelings for her. I told her that I am not ready for any relationship before I can deal with my mental health (for which I go to a therapist regularly).

She tried to convince me that she loved me, we are soulmates, and she felt that we were meant to be together. However, I do not have the same feelings for her. I love her as a friend, but nothing beyond that. We were both emotional, but she said she was glad we talked about this. She left after that.

B called me that night and told me not to talk about our conversation to anyone. I thought a lot about it and decided that I would not tell her fiancé about B and my conversation from last week. I feel it's their relationship, and I do not have the right to ruin their moment if B decides to go ahead with the wedding.

However, I feel guilty that her fiancé does not know anything about this and is going into a marriage where B might not be fully ready for it. Can you guys give suggestions on what I should do in this case? Am I wrong for not telling her fiancé about our conversation?

The OP’s dropped an update on the saga—curious? Click here to check it out!

B’s last-minute love confession to her grieving friend is a curveball that screams emotional chaos. She’s questioning her wedding while placing him in a no-win situation, especially since he’s clear about not reciprocating. Relationship therapist Esther Perel notes, “Unspoken feelings in close relationships can create a ripple effect, destabilizing trust and clarity”. B’s timing suggests cold feet or unresolved feelings, but her secrecy demand burdens her friend unfairly.

His loyalty to both B and her fiancé, combined with his grief, complicates things. He’s protecting his mental health and daughter, but withholding the truth risks betraying a friend. A 2020 study in Personal Relationships found that 68% of people feel obligated to disclose a partner’s infidelity to protect others. B’s confession isn’t infidelity, but the principle applies—her fiancé deserves transparency.

Perel advises addressing doubts directly: “Encourage B to be honest with her fiancé about her feelings.” He could gently urge her to come clean or reconsider the wedding, emphasizing it’s for her happiness and her fiancé’s trust. If she refuses, he might consider telling the fiancé to preserve his own integrity. Readers, what’s the right move in this emotional minefield?

Heres what people had to say to OP:

Reddit’s got plenty to say about this pre-wedding plot twist, and the advice is as varied as a wedding buffet. Here’s the unfiltered scoop from the community, served with a side of wit.

[Reddit User] − I would tread carefully. B has some commitment issues and she pops this on you as she is getting ready to make the biggest commitment of her life. She may have true feelings for you-she may just be scared and thinks she has feelings for you. Protect your heart.

FabricStash − It sounds like B wanted some kind of commitment from you - and then she would leave her fiance for you. It's not right to ask that of you. I'm glad you didn't go there. I would suggest that you get some distance from her and live your own life. She isn't treating you or her fiance well.

nvm5757 − Stay away from her!

[Reddit User] − She has commitment issues and is getting cold feet about the wedding and you are probably her exit strategy. I would not lose a good friend over this but would wait and see what occurs.. Don't involve yourself in speaking to her partner. She probably would not permanently commit to you either but she does sound like someone to have as a friend.

[Reddit User] − Get this nut job out of your life... People like b are every guy's worst nightmare.. they're never happy in relationships. They're never content and they're always looking to jump ship and monkey branch to the next guy.. Sure, you can get into a relationship with her if you want... But she's just going to I have a negative effect on your life..

just like she's going to have a negative effect on her fiance's life. I guarantee that she's telling her fiance throughout the day how much she loves him... People like b are selfish and she probably has mental health problems that she's able to hide from most people..

There's a good possibility that you're not the only guy she's reaching out to behind her fiance's back too. I absolutely think her fiance should know!!! She's probably got him wrapped around her finger so it probably won't make much difference, but it's still the right thing to do.

RelationAbject380 − How can you not tell the fiance? He should know that his future wife doesn't love him, or would prefer someone else. Give him the choice. You would be an ass if he didn't know before the wedding

[Reddit User] − I personally would not get into the middle of someone's relationship. Indeed, there have been instances I'm friends with both and they both tell me things and I haven't revealed those things to the other, because of confidence. I think the only ethical and reasonable thing you should say would be what any other friend (who is not an object of affection) would tell her,

Thefast3869 − Focus on yourself and your daughter bro stay away from both not your business to get involved in.

[Reddit User] − I only think you’re wrong if you don’t tell him and don’t cut it off with B. Staying around as the backup guy, looking husband in the face across from dinner, etc while knowing your situation seems sus. If you just cut her off then he’s some guy who you know has an unfaithful wife. No obligation there.

HeartAccording5241 − I’m sorry her fiance deserves to know that she doesn’t love him if you don’t tell him wouldn’t you feel bad when they divorce

These Redditors are dishing out takes hotter than a summer rehearsal dinner, but are they seeing the full picture, or just projecting their own relationship woes? This confession’s got everyone stirred up.

This Reddit saga leaves us grappling with the weight of secrets and the bonds of friendship. The man’s caught between honoring B’s trust and protecting her fiancé’s future, all while navigating his own grief. Is he right to stay out of their relationship, or does silence make him complicit? What would you do if a friend dropped a love confession that could upend a wedding? Share your thoughts below—let’s untangle this knotty dilemma together!

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