I helped out a client/former friend at work and she was always a hard person to be around. I saw that, but she needed help. Also, she was friends with someone important at that time at my job.
This former friend got jealous of me and tried to figure out if I was dumb on certain things, which I often wasn't. She got so insecure and had clearly lost friendships she ruined and started gossiping about me with at least one person at work. They both acted guilty around me at one point. She knew she was wrong and more should have been done by people (They were above me, but money matters more than me.) who heard from her to protect me. Everyone has since known she was wrong but it hurts when others have to be polite to her.
Two years agao when it happened (I saw signs and did confront her and she tried to act like she tried to stay out of the drama, when she started the rumors.), I kept thinking about how people jump off bridges and I won't kill myelf but I get why others do.
Everyone being polite to her, not completely ending frienships with her (and she must know they stayed friends with me, but obviously those friendships are not seen the same way anymore by me) hit me hard and everyday it still does. She apologized (but not enough) when I argued for myself because she didn't have a leg to stand on with all her rumors. She knew it. She's a hateful mean person and the morning after I confronted her she was so mad when she came to my job. She knew she was in the wrong and in a way and that everyone who is there from that time at least knows what kind of person she is.
Still, I wasn't protected enough and I have to make money, but the situation was wrong. What if I had killed myself?