I Lost My Best Friend After Telling On Him For Cheating. And It Was Liberating.
Why I told on my cheating best friend
To the lady who caught her friends cheating in Korea, I hope you’re doing well. I was in your shoes once, so I empathise deeply with what you’re going through. The guilt, the anxiety, the feeling of helplessness. A few years ago, I lost my best friend of seven years because I told on him after he cheated on his partner. I’m writing my story so that you, and anyone else in your shoes, understand that telling the truth comes at a price. And for me, it was a price I was glad to pay.
My best friend X and I were ride-or-die. He was there for me when I dumped my first ex AND when I was dumped by my second one. Likewise, I was there for X when he needed comfort after flunking all his examinations AND when he wanted to get over his toxic relationships.
For a long time, I believed that I would support X in whatever he did. After all, he would do the same for me. That is, until one fateful supper.
X and I were having our weekly supper session at Boon Lay when I noticed that he was receiving tons of flirty texts from a mystery sender. This was strange because one, his then-girlfriend was a notoriously early sleeper and two, her contact definitely wasn’t saved as Pizza Hut.
As a joke, I asked him, “Hey, are you cheating on your girl?”
Without hesitation, he replied, “Yeah. For a couple of months, actually. You wanna see? She’s freaking hot, bro.”
I was shocked. As someone who was cheated on twice, I absolutely do not condone cheating. Till today, I can still remember how much it hurt, how much I hated finding out on my own, and how much it stung after being kept in the dark. Thing is, X was there for me both times, so he knew my stance on cheating.
“Dude, that’s messed up. Are you ending it soon? You know how I feel about cheating.”
“Of course not. No one’s telling you to cheat. As long as my girl doesn’t find out, what’s the harm?”
And with that, X quickly changed the topic and swept it all under the rug.
Because I felt indebted to X for all the help he had given me, I kept his secret. But it was torture. Especially given the fact that X was actively and openly cheating in front of me.
Two months later, I couldn’t take bear the guilt any longer. I couldn’t, in good conscience, keep X’s affair a secret. It was unfair to me, and it was especially unfair to his innocent girlfriend.
As such, I steeled myself and told X’s partner everything—knowing that it wasn’t gonna end well.
Unsurprisingly, they had a huge fight and my name was dropped in the middle of it. X immediately cut me out from his life for “betraying” him. Seven years of friendship, gone in an instant. That being said, I felt free. It felt amazing not being an accomplice to an affair. It felt amazing to finally have the courage to stand by my values.
Do I regret telling on X?
Of course, X’s absence has left a void I can’t fill till today. While chances are slim, I genuinely hope that we’ll be able to reconcile one day. But I don’t regret telling on him, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
What are your thoughts on cheating? Share your views and stories below!
