Betrayed and Bitter?

My husband and I recently found out we were cheated by our friends and business partners. While we were on business together, both of us willingly put our company names when we do advertising, and we all agreed to split the cost for the service fee. We also contributed furnitures and and phones in the office so that we could make contacts. Well, the business fell through and we all had to pack our stuff and move on ( we didn't even have an official split cos none of them would return our calls). Now, we received mails saying our advertising fees are overdue and they will take actions against my husband and I unless we pay. So I emailed all the ex business partners and told them what happened. One of them replied that since the bill is addressed to my husband, it's none of his business. I felt so stupid for having thought these people are our friends and partners. I cannot trust anyone after this incident. I feel like wanting to bring them down and never get up again. What should I do?

We have tried emailing and calling them but did not get a single reply. We can't even get our furnitures and stuff back from them. Our office was located at one of their houses. We now live 12 hours away from them, so there's no way we can just knock on their doors. Is there a legal way we report them, like maybe theft? Can we sue them?

I would definitely talk to a lawyer. Take any kind of contracts or paperwork/ bills/ receipts that you may have accumulated during the time that the business was running. I would not go without having this looked into.