15 True Stories of Friendship That Will Make You See Your Own Differently

When it comes to friendship, we usually don’t question the people by our side — the ones we share so many meaningful moments with. However, some people aren’t as trustworthy as they seem, and realizing that can be heartbreaking and make us rethink who truly stands with us. These stories of toxic friendships, shocking betrayals, and unexpected lessons will make you laugh, cringe, and even prompt you to reevaluate your own circle of friends.

1. Not All Moms Are What They Seem

• This friend — I’ll call her Mary — had kids the same age as mine. We got together for playdates pretty often, and our kids would sleep over at each other’s houses on weekends. I liked Mary; we would visit and talk while our kids played. One weekend, her kids were staying at my house. The older one called her mom to ask when she was coming to pick her up. I was in the room, and for some reason the kid put the phone on speaker. Mary told her what time she’d arrive and then added, “You’d better be waiting outside. If I have to go in and spend the next hour talking to rivertam, I’m going to be really pissed.” We didn’t spend much time together after that. © rivertam2985 / Reddit

2. Learning Who Your Real Friends Are

• Back in my first year of college, I had a group of friends — about seven guys, including me. We always hung out together and had this group chat where we talked about everything, from class topics to random stuff. After a year, I noticed one of the guys (let’s call him Randy) kept getting excluded. He wasn’t invited or informed about hangouts, and they constantly talked behind his back. The “unofficial leader” even made a whole new group chat, inviting everyone — including me — except Randy, without him knowing. I know what it feels like to be left out; it happened to me in middle school, and it’s awful. So I stopped hanging out with them and started spending time with Randy instead. He’s a bit eccentric but genuinely kind. We’ve been friends for over six years now, and he still has my back. © SpectreAmazing / Reddit

3. Divorce and the true friend test: separating the real from the fake

• When I went through a divorce and was down to $700... Most difficult period and weeded out all those who “friended” me for my generosity because I was well settled. Started over and have like 2 truly good friends. © allens9** / Reddit

4. Babysitter blues: Friendships built on convenience and betrayal

• When I was babysitting her kids, things were going great. We’d hang out all the time, have movie nights, and just talk and chill. But the moment she no longer needed a babysitter, I was kicked to the curb—no explanation, not even a text back. Some people will act like your best friend until they no longer need you. Their loss, though. © Idgiethreadgoode86 / Reddit

5. Bachelorette party snub: signs you’re in a one-sided friendship

• Apparently, I didn’t realize I was on a different tier of friendship with my so-called friend. She was getting married, and I didn’t get an invite, which I understood since it was a destination wedding in another country. Later, I attended a sleepover party she hosted with about nine other girls. They spent the evening talking about the amazing bachelorette party and showing photos of the wild time they had. That’s when I realized I was the only one who hadn’t been invited. It made me feel pretty crummy. © Spookypumpkinbb / Reddit

6. Splitting the bill and splitting ways: how fake friends show their true colors

• I’ve been friends with these two girls Lily (18 y.o.) and Mia (19 y.o.) for years. One day, we went to our favorite spot, and they invited a guy (18 y.o.).
  
  When the waiter asked if we wanted to split the bill or combine it, we usually split, but they decided to put the $160 bill on the poor guy. I assumed they were treating us, until one of them turned to Jake and said, “You’re paying for us, right? Just being a gentleman.”
  
  Jake looked completely thrown off. “What?” he asked, his face a mix of confusion and discomfort. Mia and Lily just giggled, grabbed their stuff, and just left. I was not okay, so I stayed.
  Jake and I sat there, awkward and silent, staring at a bill for $160. I could only afford my $30, and he hesitated before saying he had $50, but that was all he could spare—it was his grocery money.
  
  I called my brother and explained the situation, and he sent me enough to cover the remaining balance. I paid the bill, apologized to Jake, and even offered to pay him back later for what he spent. He shook his head and said, “It’s not your fault. Thank you for staying. That was... wild.”
  
  The next day, I got angry texts from them saying, that I “ruined the vibe” and saying I was “acting better than them.” They even accused me of liking Jake, which was absurd. When Lily wrote, “He should want to treat us, it’s how guys impress girls,” that was the final straw. I left the group chat, blocked them both, and decided I was done.

7. Pub trivia betrayal: how to heal from hurtful friendships

• When I returned to work after being off for three months due to an injury, I practically begged my coworkers to hang out and do pub trivia. All three of them said they had plans, so I let it go. Later, I found out through social media that their “plans” were to get together and do pub trivia—without me. I deleted my social media shortly afterward. Since then, I’ve felt a lot less depressed. Deleting social media and stopping myself from viewing them as friends helped me realize that those “friendships” were one-sided. I’m better off keeping things professional and just being cordial at work. © iaminfamy / Reddit

8. Truckless and friendless: the harsh reality of outgrowing friendships

• When I traded in my truck for a smaller, more eco-friendly vehicle, communication with certain people plummeted. Suddenly, I wasn’t as useful—I couldn’t haul furniture, help with moving, or dispose of garbage as easily anymore. © mandox1 / Reddit

9. Dating App disasters: when honesty ruins a fake friendship

• I matched with a guy on a dating app. He seemed vaguely familiar, but I brushed it off. We started flirting. Before our date, I checked his socials. My heart sank when I realized he was my best friend’s husband. I decided to come clean and showed her our conversation. What she did next felt like a slap in the face. She took my hand and smiled calm but cold. “Thank you for telling me,” she said softly. Then her tone shifted, sharp and cutting. “But let’s not pretend this was an accident.”
  
  I froze. “What?” I barely managed to say.
  
  Her grip tightened. “You’ve always wanted what I have. Always. But this? This is too far.”
  
  I felt the air leave my lungs. “I didn’t know! I told you as soon as I realized!”
  
  She pulled her hand away and stood, glaring down at me. “Save it. I’ve seen the way you look at him—at everything that’s mine. Maybe it’s time we take a break. I don’t need this in my life.”
  
  And just like that, she walked away. I sat there, stunned, my heart shattered. I thought honesty would save our friendship, but instead, it destroyed it.
  
  It didn’t end there. She blocked me on everything—social media, phone, everywhere. She told our friends a twisted version of what happened, one where I was the villain trying to steal her husband.
  
  I wanted to fight back, to tell my side, but what would be the point? She was hurt and lashed out, but in doing so, she erased years of friendship, years of memories, as if they meant nothing. I thought we were unbreakable. I was wrong.

10. When Friends Turn Their Backs

• For me, it was when I got into some deep trouble and they all just cast me aside without a second thought. I realized this when I invited them all to the movies, and they all said they couldn’t go. Later, I found out through one of them that they went to see the movie that same day. When I asked why they hadn’t told me, they said, “We just wanted to go together.” It broke my heart. © VexAndStuff / Reddit

11. Flying to support, left in chaos: recognizing toxic friends

• I flew out to support a friend who was going through a messy divorce. While I was there, she left me alone in her apartment to meet up with her boyfriend—someone I didn’t even know existed. It turned out he had just been released from prison for a serious offense that made my hair stand on end. When she told me this, I explained that I wasn’t comfortable spending time with him, especially given the circumstances of my visit.
  
  The next night, I woke up in the middle of the night to find him in the living room. When I confronted her, she said she didn’t think it would matter since I was asleep. The following day, she invited her soon-to-be ex-husband over without telling me and then asked me to mediate their conversation once he arrived. That discussion escalated quickly and turned ugly. She stormed out, leaving me alone with him. He broke down and asked if I thought their relationship was salvageable. I told him the truth: she had already moved on.
  
  Maybe it wasn’t the best thing to say, but at that point, she had shown me how toxic and selfish she was. © bertholamew / Reddit

12. When telling everyone I’d be a Dad pushed them away

• The day I told all my friends — and even some family — that I was going to be a father, a lot of people fell off the tree. The day my daughter was born, everyone stopped responding and started ignoring my texts and calls. I got kicked out of some group chats, some people unfriended me on social media, and a few even removed me from Facebook. Now, I have a handful of childhood friends and family members who still see me and my daughter as family. It is what it is — I ain’t trippin. © kitcarti / Reddit
  

13. Wedding day woes: a fake friend’s excuse that changed everything

• My best friend of ten years called on my wedding day to say she couldn’t make it because she was just so sad about her recent divorce. Turns out, she just had a date. Our whole friendship was fake, it just took me to that point to realize it. © pudgywombat / Reddit

14. The birthday no-show: finding true friends after betrayal

• On my 21st birthday—all my ’friends’ made up excuses for why they couldn’t come. The three friends who did show up ended up meeting some guys, and we awkwardly sat around at their house for the rest of the night. It happened again on my 25th birthday. By then, I had moved across the country and made new friends, but they all bailed at the last minute. I ended up calling my roommate, who came out after he got off work. He even brought some of his friends along, and it turned out to be the best night ever. Those guys are now my real friends, and I married that roommate. © fatchancefatpants / Reddit

Not only friendship can turn into a real nightmare — some trips don’t go as planned either. What was supposed to be all fun sometimes becomes a story to tell... but not exactly for the reason we hoped.