AITA for leaving my husband after I found out he was cheating with my childhood friend?

I (31F) have been married to my husband, Alex (34M), for eight years. We met in college and married after a whirlwind romance. From the outside, our life looked perfect—we had a nice house, two children (Sophia, 5, and Liam, 3), and stable careers. I loved Alex, and I thought he loved me, too.

For most of our marriage, things were smooth. We shared responsibilities, took vacations together, and were partners in every sense. But over the past year, I started noticing changes. Alex became distant, spending more time at work and less at home. He seemed preoccupied, often taking calls in private and leaving the room to answer messages. I tried not to overthink, thinking maybe it was stress, but my gut told me something was off.

I also noticed he had reconnected with my childhood friend, Rachel (32F). Rachel and I had grown up together, inseparable through school, but over the years, we drifted apart. Alex had met her at a college reunion and mentioned it casually, saying they were just catching up. At first, I trusted him, but over time, their interactions seemed… off.

One night, I came home early from work to surprise Alex. To my shock, I found him in the living room, laughing and hugging Rachel. It seemed innocent at first, but then I saw the way he looked at her—there was an intimacy in his gaze that made my stomach twist. I froze, unsure what to do.

I waited until later that night and checked his phone—something I had sworn I would never do. I found months of secret messaging between him and Rachel. They were discussing private plans, sending flirtatious messages, and even arranging secret meetups. I felt my world collapse. My husband—the man I trusted with everything—had been betraying me with someone I once considered a sister.

I confronted Alex immediately. At first, he denied everything, saying it was just “friendly banter.” But when I showed him the messages, his expression changed. He admitted to emotional and physical intimacy with Rachel over the past six months. He claimed it “just happened” and that he didn’t know how it went so far.

I was devastated. I couldn’t believe it—my husband and my childhood friend had betrayed me in the most personal way possible. I felt a mix of anger, sadness, and humiliation. The people I trusted most had broken the most sacred promises.

Rachel tried to justify it, saying she “never meant to hurt me” and that she and Alex “fell into it.” I couldn’t even process the words. How could someone I loved and someone I grew up with betray me so completely?

I knew I couldn’t stay in that marriage. I asked Alex to leave and filed for divorce. I realized I could never look at him the same way or trust him again. My friends and family are divided—some say I did the right thing, that I had to protect my heart, while others think I should have tried to work through it for the sake of our children.

Now, months later, I’m living alone with my kids, trying to rebuild my life. I still struggle with the betrayal and the fact that someone I loved so much could betray me with someone I had trusted for decades.

So, AITA for leaving my husband after I found out he was cheating with my childhood friend?