literally. sometimes my loved ones get defensive and i have to tell them “i’m bringing this up to you because i care about our relationship and i don’t want it to be an issue anymore. if i didn’t give a fuck i wouldn’t say anything” and i remind myself of the same thing when people talk to me.
It’s taken me so much time to truly internalize that and work on my communication, because I used to be the one not talking things out. So this situation for me was a slap in the face for all that work I did, and the open environment I created with this friend. At the same time though, with the context of my situation, I do think I might’ve been used for money