Everyone has that one friend who once felt like family—until they didn’t. For Hannah Pittard, that person was Trish, someone she met during graduate school in 2003.
They were total opposites: Hannah, the introverted bookworm; Trish, the outgoing social butterfly who seemed to float through life with ease.
From the moment they met, Trish stood out.
She was popular, effortlessly confident, and had a magnetic charm that drew people in.
She knew every bartender, got free drinks, and never waited in line at clubs.
Hannah admired her… until things slowly started to unravel.
A Friendship That Introduced Her to Love
It was through Trish that Hannah met Patrick.
At first, they bonded over Scrabble, books, and music, just as friends.
But three years in, that friendship turned into a relationship.
That’s when the cracks in Hannah and Trish’s friendship began to show.
Trish once admitted that she found Patrick attractive, saying she would’ve crushed on him herself if she wasn’t already taken.
As soon as Hannah and Patrick started dating, she noticed a different side of Trish—competitive, sometimes mean-spirited, especially when alcohol was involved.
Trying to Keep the Peace
Even after Trish married her longtime boyfriend, tensions remained.
Whenever the two couples hung out, Hannah felt like the odd one out—the “quiet caretaker” while the others drank and partied.
She started to distrust Trish but still couldn’t let go of the friendship completely.
Hannah begged Patrick more than once to distance themselves from Trish and her husband.
He always said no. When they eventually married in 2006, Patrick insisted that Trish be invited to their wedding—even though Hannah didn’t want her there.
A Marriage Slowly Falls Apart
The first couple of years of marriage were happy.
But like many relationships, finances started to create strain.
Rent, bills, and worries about spending chipped away at their closeness.
Communication faded, and by 2016, the couple was growing further apart.
In July that year, Patrick traveled abroad, and then it was Hannah’s turn to fly to New York for her book launch.
She caught up with a friend named Hugh, who happened to have hosted Patrick just the week before.
What started as a casual catch-up over dinner turned into something life-changing.
The Shocking Truth Comes Out
After dinner, they stayed up talking like kids at a sleepover.
That’s when Hugh said something that stopped Hannah in her tracks: “You should be more suspicious.” His tone made it clear—he knew something.
When she asked if Patrick had cheated, he nodded.
When she guessed it was with Trish, he nodded again.
Hannah didn’t cry. She just went numb.
Confrontation and Confession
She called her sister, who, while shocked, wasn’t surprised. Then she texted Trish asking to talk.
When Hannah told her she believed Patrick had slept with someone, there was silence.
When she said she thought it was Trish—more silence.
Eventually, Trish deflected: “You should talk to your husband.”
Minutes later, she called back and confirmed it.
Not just once—they had slept together multiple times.
Trish even had the nerve to say Patrick told her that Hannah had always been jealous of her.
Trish claimed Patrick orchestrated everything to drive them apart.
It was the kind of gaslighting that left Hannah speechless.
Holding It Together, Then Falling Apart
Despite everything, Hannah still attended her book launch that evening.
She read from her book in front of a crowd, holding herself together with astonishing grace.
But after dinner with Hugh and his partner, the floodgates opened. She broke down sobbing.
Later, Patrick called. Not to apologize or fix things—but to talk. He was staying with Trish.
Hannah could hear her in the background. The betrayal felt endless.
Divorce and Life After the Wreckage
Hannah returned home and immediately began divorce proceedings.
Eighteen months later, Patrick and Trish were married.
During the pandemic, Hannah channeled her pain into a memoir called We Are Too Many, writing through the heartbreak.
She’s now in a new, happy relationship—but marriage? Not on the cards.
Some wounds don’t fully disappear, but Hannah has found peace in telling her story.
And maybe, in doing so, she’s helped others feel less alone in their own stories of betrayal and healing.