Heartbreak and Betrayal: My Online Best Friend's Deception and Struggles

[ION] If this post seems familiar, I recreated it to include crucial information.

Hey Reddit fam, I'm putting this out there because I'm feeling totally messed up right now. So, I've got this online bestie of 8 years who's been my partner in crime in the digital world. We've laughed, cried, and geeked out over music and gaming together. hours for hours, nights for nights.

But lately, things have been off. He's been spinning this epic tale of success, claiming to be this big-shot music producer signed to a label, ghost-producing for major artists. He even said the label's funding his bachelor's degree so he can start his own label someday. Sounds impressive, right? Well, it would if any of it were true.

To add to the complexity, he's confided in me about his struggles with mental health, revealing that he's been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), had a suicide attempt, and battled cocaine addiction. It's a heavy burden to bear, and it makes me question whether I can entirely blame him for his fabrications if they're rooted in his struggles. You feel me?

I stumbled upon his Reddit account recently, and something caught my eye. He wrote a post about starting to work again, just 8 hours a week after a 2-year break. It got me thinking - What successful music producer goes silent for 2 years? It just doesn't add up. I mean, to be part of a label, you'd think you'd have to be actively working, right? He just told me he worked a 9-5 until his SoundCloud caught the eye of some bigger names. But still, two years of silence? It's a head-scratcher, for sure.

And then there's the esports saga. He's been boasting about being this hotshot esports player, but there's zero evidence of it. No team appearances, no streams, nothing. Every time I've asked him about it, he dodges the question like a pro. Now he claims he's coaching Korean players in Discord servers. Yeah, right.

What's really getting to me is how our shared love for music was supposed to bond us, but it feels like it's tearing us apart. He never wanted to chat about his real-life struggles, only dropping hints here and there. It's like he wanted me to see him as this cool, successful guy, even if it meant bending the truth.

Oh, and get this—he said he's ghostproducing for Ari Abdul on a song. But guess what? She does all her music herself(at that time). Was he just name-dropping to boost his street cred?

There's a ton more I could unpack, but I'll spare you the novel. Bottom line: I'm feeling betrayed, lost, and not sure what to do next.

So, fellow Redditors, if you've ever been in a similar boat, I could really use some advice. Should I call him out on his lies or try to understand where he's coming from? Help a confused 22-year-old out, yeah?

Thanks for listening, have a good day/night