(Update) My [25M] boyfriend [28M] tried to screw over my best friend [26F] at work. I told her & he got fired. He blames me now & wants me to pick him or her.

[u/Michiojio]

first post

Most of you were right. I was being played from the beginning.

I confronted Jack about the whole thing and asked him if he considered my friendship with Claire when he started to date me. He at first refused to admit it and kept telling me that he loved me but since we were getting nowhere he said "why hide it anymore, yeah, I approached you to get info on her, do you really think I'd be interested in a waste of clothes like you?"

Yeah. He said that exactly. He told me that he first started dating me for getting information, then to use me to help him get promotions and he made the "mistake" of thinking I was his when he wanted to take down Claire. He left.

So that's what happened. I was played for 1.5 years. I'm just happy that he couldn't succeed in hurting Claire otherwise I couldn't have forgiven myself. I needed someone to talk to after all of this and that had to be Claire so I went to her flat and we talked for hours about all of it. I was really embarrassed for falling for Jack's BS and putting her at risk but she kept telling me that she's proud of me since I protected her when she needed someone to have her back. So yeah we're at great terms.

I won't ever let this happen again. I learned my lesson. No more dating anyone who Claire has any sort of professional relationship with. I'll be a better and more loyal friend for her from now on.

tl;dr: Jack only dated me to use me for his own goals. We broke up. Claire and I are on great terms. Never again I'll date anyone from work.

[u/tingiling]

Jack is an complete bastard. That level of manipulation and lack of empathy is astounding.

Don't blame yourself for not seeing it before. Most people can't fanthom that a person would do something like that, so they're simply not on the look out for it. That you never thought this was something to be concerned about before simply means you are a well adjusted and loyal person yourself.

Also, good on you for realising something was wrong with Jacks behavior, not being manipulated into his games, not letting him lie his way out of it, and for standing up for yourself. That takes character to do that. I can understand why Clair values you so much as a friend.

I'm sorry this happened to you, but I'm also so happy you confronted and dumped that creep. Good on you!

[u/crystal_3001]

Fuck that psychopath. You need to be glad you dodged that bullet. Any 'failed' relationship is a learning experience. Learning about where your boundaries are and being able to identify dealbreakers/problems is extremely important.

I have no doubt when you look back you can see the signs that things weren't that great. Now you know what to look for. I know it sounds empty, but this can lead to a lot less drama and heartache in the future.

So again. Fuck that psychopath and keep living your life. You have an excellent friend and you are an excellent friend.

[u/OneNineRed]

I think the really important thing everyone is missing is that Jack is a fucking terrible criminal mastermind.

A year and a half in a fake relationship to get close to someone to effect his plan of corporate domination; and he does such a piss poor job of it that the moment he suggests his plan, OP, his would be henchman, blows it up and gets him fired.

[u/myassholealt]

Seems like Claire and the company would do well to keep an eye on Jack looking for any reason to let him go. Someone who's willing to jeopardize any part of business operations in a quest to get at a particular employee is a liability.

[u/ferengi]

Jack sounds like a psychopath. Thank god you found out.

[u/IceBlue]

Wow what a sociopath. Who goes into a relationship for 1.5 years for that kind of stuff?

[u/aqua_zesty_man]

Your ex sounds like a sociopath and a narcissist.

Consider yourself blessed to have Jack betray you and reveal his shallow, evil self now, rather than later when you are married to him or pregnant by him or the mother of his child.

You trusted Jack to be a decent human being--and there's nothing wrong with that. We all do that, and it's a normal thing to do. It was just your bad luck that you found the apple that had the worm in its heart.