These women became best friends despite one of them stealing the other’s boyfriend — and he cheated on her too
Charlotte Prestwich, 32, thought she would hate Bekkie Dyke, 27, when she discovered she had been sleeping with her boyfriend Richard but they became best friends in a twist of events
WORKING late, secretive calls and feeling distant.
These are a few of the tell-tale signs that a partner may be cheating.
After weeks or maybe months of denial, you finally unearth the devastating truth and naturally want answers.
The first question: Who is to blame?
According to a recent study by Cardiff Metropolitan University, women tend to blame “the other woman”, while most men blame their cheating wives.
Charlotte Prestwich, 32, knows that feeling all too well.
When she found out Bekki Dyde, 27, had slept with her boyfriend Richard Clewes, 33, behind her back, she thought she would hate her for ever.
But in a twist of events, the pair became best friends after finding solace in one another.
Two years later, Bekki was maid of honour at Charlotte’s wedding to a new man.
Here, they share their extraordinary story with GEORGETTE CULLEY and ISOLDE WALTERS and explain why women should stick together, not tear one another apart.
Charlotte says...
UPHOLSTERER Charlotte, from Crewe, is married to Mike, 33, a warehouse worker.
She is mum to Leon, nine, and seven-year-old Josh – both from a previous relationship – as well as Nicky, two. She says:
When people ask me how I met my best mate, Bekki, I say: “She slept with my boyfriend behind my back.”
At first they laugh and think I’m joking. But when they realise I’m being serious, they look so confused.
Our five-year friendship is all thanks to my ex – an electrician called Richard who was a serial love rat.
When I first met him in a nightclub in October 2011, Richard was everything I was looking for – funny, charming and with a cheeky glint in his eye.
We soon started a relationship and two weeks later he moved in with me and my sons. It was lightning-fast but it seemed perfect.
Then, one month after he moved in, I received a Facebook message from Bekki, who was Richard’s ex and the mother of his son Jake, who is now nine.
It read: “You need to stop seeing Richard. You’re breaking up a family, you big-chinned freak!”
I could not believe this girl’s nerve. Richard promised to have a word with her and tell her to back off.
I didn’t reply to her spiteful messages and after a couple of months, she stopped sending them.
In July 2012, Richard and I flew to Majorca for a family holiday with our kids.
When we returned, Richard took Jake back to Bekki’s and didn’t return home. I was frantic with worry. Was he with her?
The next day he insisted he’d been lying in bed with Jake and had just drifted off.
I angrily asked him if he was cheating on me with Bekki. He denied it but then told me he didn’t want to be with me any more and ended our nine-month relationship. I was devastated.
I then found out Richard had moved back in with Bekki. I was furious. All my “paranoia” had been completely justified.
Bekki had bided her time until she got the chance to sleep with my man and steal him away.
Two weeks later, I was shocked to receive a call from her. She said: “I know you don’t want to speak to me, but Rich has cheated on me.
You’re the best person in the world to talk to because we’ve both been hurt by the same guy.”
My first instinct was to hang up. How dare she think I would console her? She stole my man. But she sounded so hurt, I kept listening.
She had found messages on Richard’s phone from another girl. We chatted for two hours. The next night, we went to the pub together.
My friends thought I was mad but we had tons in common and although we bonded over our hatred of Richard, we were also both young mums who enjoyed letting our hair down every now and again.
When Mike and I got married in August 2014, Bekki was my first choice for maid of honour.
I never thought I’d be happy to be cheated on, but Richard’s two-timing introduced me to my best friend. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Bekki says...
HOSPITAL receptionist Bekki, 27, also lives in Crewe with her nine-year-old son, Jake. She says:
When I logged in to Facebook and spotted the notification, my heart began to race. It read: “Richard Clewes is in a relationship with Charlotte Bloor.”
We had only broken up three months before and I had never given up hope that we would get back together.
In that moment, I clicked through all her pictures. I couldn’t even see why he was going out with her.
A week later, I was at home by myself and was a bit tipsy, so I sent her a mean message telling her she was breaking up a family.
I threw in some insults too, but infuriatingly, she didn’t take the bait. I must have sent six messages and she didn’t reply to a single one.
After a few months went by, I decided to make peace with her. I had my son to think about and didn’t know how long she would be in Richard’s life.
Whenever I saw her while I was picking Jake up or dropping him off at her house, I was civil.
But I never stopped thinking about getting back with Richard.
He had been my first proper boyfriend and even though he had broken my heart multiple times with his wandering eye, I still believed he would grow up and change.
I gritted my teeth when I heard he was going on holiday to Spain with Charlotte.
The whole time they were gone, I couldn’t help picturing Richard, Jake and me playing on a beach and swimming in the sea on a proper family holiday.
When he dropped Jake off after the trip, I asked Richard if he fancied a drink.
This was my chance. I told him: “You should be with me. I love you, I’ve missed you and we should be together. You know we should.”
Richard didn’t even let me finish my speech before he pounced. Soon we were making out like old times and he was ripping off my clothes.
I didn’t feel any guilt and Richard didn’t seem to either. I kept telling myself I wasn’t in the wrong – Richard had been with me before he was with Charlotte so I was just taking back what was mine.
But while I thought we were getting back together for good, Richard clearly had other plans. Three weeks later, he started coming home late, smelling of alcohol while insisting he had been working.
Then I spotted a text flash up on his phone. It read: “I can’t wait to see you, baby,” followed by a long row of kisses.
Richard was a cheat through and through.
When I confronted him, he didn’t even bother to deny it and left the same day.
In all my pain, I realised this was how Charlotte must have felt when Richard left her for me. I knew I had to apologise.
My hands shook as I dialled her number. Would she hang up on me? Shout at me? Tell me I deserved to be cheated on?
To my surprise, she accepted my apology. She even said: “I’m in love with a good man now, Bekki, and you’ll find one too – if you keep away from Richard.”
Soon we were seeing each other every week. Richard knew we were friends. I don’t think he liked it but he never dared bring it up with me.
I learned an important lesson: Sometimes you can be swept away with passion and think that love conquers all.
But I now know that friendship can get you through anything.
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Richard says...
“I WAS seeing about seven or eight women. They included Charlotte and Bekki.
“Yes, I cheated on them both. I don’t feel bad about it.”