I never thought a friendship conflict could shatter my world, but here we are.
Emma was my person — my confidante since college, the one I’d call for everything from bad dates to job promotions. For over a decade, she’d been my safe place.

Then came last month.

I’d been dating Mark for almost a year. He was kind, thoughtful, and made me believe in love again after a rough breakup. Emma had met him several times and always seemed to like him. Or so I thought.

One Friday night, a mutual friend let something slip over drinks — Emma had been texting Mark privately. At first, I thought it was innocent. But then I saw the screenshots. Flirty emojis. Inside jokes I wasn’t part of. And one message that made my stomach drop: “I wish you were with me instead.”

When I confronted her, she laughed. She said it was “just a joke” and that I was “too sensitive.” Mark swore he hadn’t responded in a romantic way, but I couldn’t unsee the fact that my best friend had crossed a line.

We didn’t talk for a week. Then she sent me a message saying I was “ruining our friendship over nothing.” But is it really nothing when trust is broken?

Now, mutual friends are divided. Some say I should forgive her, that she’s going through a lonely phase. Others tell me to cut her off completely.

The worst part? I miss her. I miss the way we used to talk about everything. But I can’t shake the feeling that the friendship I thought we had might have never truly existed.