You have every right to your emotions. What happened to you was not right. I do think it is an A, because as you say in your signature line there was no conversation and no process. To me, a 23 year relationship deserves a lot more than him making an abrupt choice and being with someone else. That is not right.
If that is true about her, then you just stick to your plan and work on being "the better option". Maybe 9 months is a long time for an A (it was 8 months for my H's) but there are some that go longer.
The fact that he has lost his old friends is and will be a factor. Maybe he hasn't experienced all the ramifications of that yet but he will. And, it will be harder than he thinks. My H and I just talked about that yesterday. He was discussing how some of the guys he respects most at work would have wanted nothing to do with him if he would have left me for OW. He said at the time he tried not to think about all he would have lost, because in his alien "fog" brain he was choosing to only focus on the fantasy of OW being "the one" to fix everything he thought was wrong with his life. But, he says now that he has more perspective on it, he can see how she would have literally ruined his life, in almost every way.
Reality DOES hit at some point. There will be social consequences, financial consequences, family consequences, sometimes career consequences, etc. WAS's can only avoid all that for so long, but eventually it does catch up.
Pick yourself up Aver, do something nice for yourself tonight. Remind yourself that you ARE the better option, and as you live that out... he just might see that if he has a brain in his head! lol
You are going to be ok my friend... better than ok... so be strong. Sending more peace your way...
