Ever since we announced my pregnancy, Avery, my husband’s female best friend, has been inundating us with unsolicited advice. Her insistence on hosting the baby shower was the last straw! I was sick of Avery’s controlling actions and came up with a plan to teach her an unforgettable lesson.
My husband has a female best friend, Avery. They met at work and hit it off because they both work in the health field, Scott as a food safety auditor and Avery as a nutritionist.
At first, she and I got along well too.
We bonded over music and our careers, and she quickly became a part of our social circle. Everything was fine until I announced my pregnancy.
When Scott and I shared the news on social media, Avery was one of the first to text him. “Congratulations! You two are going to be amazing parents!” she wrote.
It seemed genuine enough. But then, the unsolicited advice started pouring in. Every day, Scott would receive texts from her, suggesting dietary changes and baby products we “had to” get. It was overwhelming.
“Jean, look at this,” Scott said one evening, handing me his phone. “Avery sent another list of things we need to buy. She says we should switch to organic everything.”
I glanced at the phone, irritation bubbling up inside me. “Scott, she’s going overboard. We don’t need her telling us how to prepare for our baby.”
He sighed. “I know, but she’s just trying to help. Should I say something?”
“Just ignore it,” I advised, placing his phone down. “She’s not the one having the baby; we are.”
But ignoring Avery didn’t seem to work. Her texts became more frequent and critical. It felt like she was scrutinizing every decision I made.
Publicly, Avery would leave supportive comments on my social media posts, but privately, she bombarded Scott with advice.
“Jean shouldn’t be eating that,” she’d text him if I posted a picture of my lunch. “She needs more folic acid.”
One afternoon, Scott showed me a particularly annoying message from her: “Jean should avoid caffeine entirely. It’s not good for the baby.”
“Can you believe this?” Scott asked, frustration creeping into his voice. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her!”
“I can’t deal with her constant nagging,” I said. “This is getting out of hand.”
As the weeks went by, I focused on planning my baby shower with my mom and sister. It was going to be a small, intimate gathering with close friends and family. One evening, as I was finalizing the guest list, I received a text from Avery.
“Hey Jean! I would love to host your baby shower. I have so many great ideas!” she wrote.
I took a deep breath and typed a polite response. “Thank you, Avery, but my mom and sister are already handling it. I appreciate the offer!”
The next day, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Avery standing there, arms loaded with decorations and a detailed menu.
“Surprise! I brought everything we need for the baby shower!” she exclaimed, pushing past me into the house.
“Avery, I told you, my mom and sister are taking care of it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“But I have everything planned! It will be perfect!” she insisted, her tone condescending. “Trust me, I know what’s best for you and the baby.”
She started laying out the decorations on my dining table, listing all the things she had prepared. “I’ve arranged for a gluten-free, sugar-free cake, and I found the cutest eco-friendly party favors. I even have a playlist with relaxing music for the baby!”
I stood there, shocked by how pushy and overbearing she was being. “Avery, I appreciate your effort, but this is really something my mom and sister want to handle.”
“Jean, you have to understand,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly, “I just want everything to be perfect for you. You deserve the best.”
Leave a Reply