While being present for some of the most important events of your best friend’s life is an important part of friendship, sometimes, life gets in the way, and you can’t always be there.

One woman recently missed her best friend’s event, which ended up being her Surprise Wedding, because her dog became very sick. Unfortunately, her friend is now upset with her for not being there.

She has a best friend, Emma, who she’s been close to since high school. They’ve been through so much together and have been there for each other in their darkest moments. Therefore, they agreed that they’d always be there for their milestones.

“Emma has always been unconventional and loves surprises,” she said.

“She hinted that this event was going to be ‘life-changing’ and ‘a testament to love.’ Given her flair for the dramatic, I assumed it might be an elaborate proposal from her long-time partner, Jake.”

Emma’s surprise event was set to be in a pretty, remote location four hours away from where she lives. While she was fully committed to going, her life changed the week of the event. Her beloved dog, whom she’d had for ten years, suddenly became critically ill.

“I was devastated, torn between my responsibility to my pet and my commitment to my best friend,” she recalled.

“I called Emma two days before the event, explaining my situation and how I couldn’t make it. She was incredibly understanding at the time, or so it seemed. I thought everything was fine until the next day when mutual friends started posting pictures of the event. It was Emma’s wedding, a surprise wedding!”

When she realized she had missed Emma’s wedding day, she was devastated, as she figured it was the kind of moment she wouldn’t ever want to miss as her best friend. However, she had no idea the event would be a wedding, and she was obligated to take care of her dog.

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Although Emma told her over the phone it’d be fine if she missed the event, she suddenly had a change of heart after the surprise wedding.

“After the wedding, she sent me a long message expressing her disappointment and hurt,” she explained.

“She felt that I had chosen my pet over our friendship and that missing her wedding was unforgivable. Since then, Emma has been distant. Mutual friends are divided; some understand my predicament, while others believe I should have made every effort to attend, regardless of the circumstances.”

Should she feel bad for missing Emma’s surprise wedding, or should Emma forgive her?

You can read the original post on Reddit here.