My Best Friend Betrayed Me in the Worst Possible Way, but Karma Had My Back

A best friend is supposed to be someone you can fully trust and rely on when life gets tough. For many, that can be the opposite. People are not always who they seem to be, and that was the case for Sara and her so-called “best friend,” Liv.

Every guy ghosted Sara, for some reason.

Sara goes on to share, “Every time I dated a guy, they’d ghost me for no reason. My best friend, Liv, would say, ’You just have bad luck with men.’ Two months ago, I met a guy. For once, things felt solid. But he vanished too. A mutual friend let it slip: ’Liv told him you were still seeing your ex.’

I confronted her. She didn’t deny it. Just smiled and said, ’You were starting to forget who’s always been there for you.’ I cut her off. Blocked, deleted, everything. Thought it was over.”

Sara investigated the situation further.

“But then strange things started happening—new friends suddenly acting distant, anonymous accounts watching my stories the second I posted. One even used an old nickname only Liv knew. So I played her game. I made a fake account, acted like a new guy I was seeing.

She messaged him within two days, warning him I was a ’manipulative liar.’ I got screenshots, sent them to mutuals. She lost all her little puppets. Turns out, she was just a girl who couldn’t stand being left in the shadow.”

How to spot a “frenemy.”

Sara was dealing with the classic case of having a frenemy, or friend enemy. Liv seems to be jealous of her best friend getting a lot of attention and having lots of friends, so she sabotaged her relations with everyone. Luckily, there are a few signs you can watch out for to avoid a frenemy.

1. They’re asking for too many favors.

A friend asking for a few favors is fine, but when it gets too much, you can’t help but feel like their personal assistant. This is especially true if they flake on you when you ask them for favors. Friendship is supposed to be a balanced two-way street.

2. They always seem passive-aggressive.

If you hear a lot of “You’re so brave to wear that!” or “I could never pull that off, but it’s so you,” something isn’t right. These aren’t outright mean, but they leave you...itchy. It’s the art of praise dipped in passive-aggression. Whatever they’re saying to you just doesn’t feel genuine.

3. You’re always walking on eggshells with them.

These type of friends usually always act like the victim. They’re rarely in the wrong and often put the blame for their mistakes on someone else. One way you can detect this is that you feel dread whenever you’re about to meet this person. In this case, it’s always best to distance yourself and move on.

4. They share your secrets in the form of “concern.”

“I’m only telling you this because I’m worried about her...” Yeah, right! If they’re spilling your tea to someone else under the guise of caring, they’re probably pouring your business out everywhere. A true friend would keep your secrets to the grave and understand the importance of privacy.

5. They’re oddly quiet when good things happen to you.

A real friend hypes you up. A frenemy goes radio silent, changes the subject, or gives the most robotic “congrats” of all time.

Your success dims their sparkle. They see your wins as a threat to their self-worth. Meanwhile, they rejoice at your losses or low points. Internally, this is an issue of deep-rooted insecurity.

Liv was never Sara’s true friend from the start, she was only a jealous frenemy. Sara did the right thing for outing her and exposing her lies. Trying to leave out a fake friend? Check out these people who stopped tolerating toxic friendships.