27 affairs including her son’s friends.

Dear Kelly. Need Advice.

This happens to be a very touchy subject. I am so torn. I don’t even know what to do with myself. Let me start from the beginning.

My best friend, let’s call her Marley, has been my friend since I was 12. I’m now 47. Her mom was like a mother to me and since my own mother wasn’t really around, it was an extra special relationship. Her family cared for me as if I were their own. I spent countless days and nights with them. I went to church with them, I’ve gone on vacation with them. I mean they are literally like my family…

Marley was married for 20 years to a very nice man. She once confided in me that she had an affair in the beginning of their marriage, but that she was young and dumb, and would never do it again. It was a really hard situation for them to overcome, but they decided to work it out and stay married. They ended up having 2 children and seemed like the perfect family.

Recently, Marley confided in me that her marriage was not doing well. She said that she has had several affairs and doesn’t know why she keeps seeking outside attention. After multiple conversations over a few weeks’ time, I finally got the whole story. This is where it gets disturbing.

She confessed to sleeping with over 27 different men over the course of three years outside of her marriage, three of them she admitted were friends of her high school son.She claims that they were 18, but at this point it doesn’t even matter. I even question if she just said they were 18 to keep her out of legal trouble. The whole thing made my stomach turn.

I’m a mother, and the thought of my son’s friend’s mother seducing him is putrid.

The multiple affairs with adult men were hard enough to swallow, but this is too close statutory rape in my world of morals & standards. In my eyes, an 18-year-old is no different than a 15-year-old. They are children. Period.

So while I appreciate her confiding in me, and allowing me to give (mostly) my honest opinion, I’m having a hard time not judging her and still being there as a friend. I mean, how can you not judge? How can you not immediately want to distance yourself from her & this VERY uncomfortable and VERY wrong situation?

Now, 18 short months later, she is in a new relationship and engaged to be married. Also hard to swallow after everything. Definitely not enough time to process all of the toxic behaviors that were acted out.

I’ve done the distant fake friend thing for a while now, but I got to see her and her family over the holidays. They were just as amazing & loving as they have been my whole life. They went above and beyond for me & my family.

What in the world do I do with this? I’ve always felt you are supposed to judge a person based on how they treat you, but this is next level.

Please help. I would love to hear everyone’s perspective. I'm really struggling with this one.

Thanks in advance…

 "Moral Mom in Valencia"