AITA For Removing My Best Friend From Our Group?

Friendships are supposed to feel safe, comforting, and stable—but sometimes they twist into situations you never thought you’d face. For three years, I believed I knew my best friend inside and out.

She was the person I trusted with my deepest thoughts, the one who listened when I fell apart emotionally, and someone I never imagined would intentionally hurt another person.

But everything changed in one moment. When a member of our friend group broke down during a really fragile moment, she didn’t comfort him—she attacked him. And when I confronted her, she admitted she knew he was struggling and simply didn’t care.

That shook me in a way I still can’t fully explain. What followed was anger, guilt, and a choice that none of us wanted to make. Now I’m left wondering if protecting someone else meant betraying her. So here it is: Am I the asshole for removing my best friend from our group?

AITA For Removing My Best Friend From Our Group?

Looking back on everything, I’ve realized that doing the right thing doesn’t always feel good—and it definitely doesn’t always feel easy. Removing my best friend from the group wasn’t about revenge or embarrassment; it was about protecting someone who was already hurting and preventing the situation from escalating again.

It still hurts to know that someone I trusted could act so coldly, and part of me keeps replaying the moment, wondering if I could have handled it differently.

But friends shouldn’t tear others down, especially when they’re vulnerable, and standing by silently would’ve made me part of the problem. Maybe she’ll reflect, maybe things will change someday, or maybe this chapter is simply meant to end here. Either way, I’m learning that boundaries matter—even when they cost you someone you never thought you’d lose.