Erica’s Story: “Friends”

Remember that episode of “Friends” when Ross & Rachel fight over his infidelity while they were on a ‘break’? Well, I am the new Rachel. When my boyfriend— correction, fiancé— Mike and I weren’t getting along he suggested we go our separate ways. I was fine with that. I didn’t want to be with someone who didn’t want to be with me. Besides, he was always accusing me of being unfaithful which I wasn’t. One week later my phone rings that special ringtone I had just for him. Confused, I answered the phone. He went into detail about how we really didn’t break up at all. Apparently, sometime after another woman and that particular phone call, he decided we weren’t broken up but we were on a break. And as a rule, when you’re on a break you can do whatever you want. He asked me if I had been seeing another man. I was so disgusted with that question. I told him no because I had just broken up with my fiancé (YOU, idiot) just one week ago. So, no. I didn’t have a new boyfriend. He reminded me that we weren’t broken up but on a break. So, I asked him if he had been with another woman and he answered yes. I told him if we were on a break, doesn’t that mean we’re taking time apart but we are still together. He agreed. I then asked him, if we are still together and you see another woman isn’t that cheating? His answer, “We were on a break.” He could have gotten away with it if he had just stuck to the ‘we were broken up’ part. He’s not guilty if we weren’t together. He did break up with me and instead of admitting that he changed his mind and he loved me and being apart isn’t what he wanted after all, he decided to try and fool me into believing we were on a break. But that only made it worse because if we were on a break and he dated another woman, then he cheated. I can’t believe he thought I was stupid enough to be broken up with and then get tricked into believing that I hadn’t been broken up with. Needless to say, that’s when I knew it was over. Truly, over. I loved the kid, but not enough to be a real life Ross and Rachel.