The emotional conflict is palpable. You feel the guilt of the protagonist, but you also understand the loneliness of the girlfriend. It forces the audience to ask an uncomfortable question: Is loyalty to a friend more important than the happiness of the person you love?

That was the honest answer. And honestly, that hurt him more than if I had just slept with her. Because cheating is a physical act. But emotional betrayal is a ghost that haunts every future friendship.

No happy, rock-solid relationship falls victim to this. For the friend’s girlfriend to become your girlfriend, their relationship must first be cracking. Perhaps your friend is neglectful, emotionally absent, or even abusive. She confides in you. You become the shoulder to cry on. This is the most dangerous role in relationships: . Every secret she shares about your friend’s flaws creates a secret bond between you and her —leaving your friend on the outside of his own relationship.