Found out my 'best friend' has been talking absolute garbage about my new relationship in our gaming Discord, right after smiling to my face by the office coffee machine. We literally just started our first corporate job together, and he acts like my hype man in person, then tells our mutuals online that she’s 'ruining our squad'. Why do people pull this two-faced coward shit?

Short and blunt: your buddy isn’t protective, he’s terrified of losing his favorite co-op player to real adulthood. Starting your first job together was probably supposed to be his ultimate 'us against the corporate machine' buddy movie. Now you’ve got someone special, your world expanded, and instead of dealing with his weird abandonment issues like a grown-up, he’s running a smear campaign in voice chat to rally an audience. Classic playground politics, just shifted onto a Discord server. Do not drag this into office hours, but definitely strip him of his digital plot armor. Pull him aside somewhere neutral and drop the flat truth without a theatrical scene: "A few people already played me the clips of what you’re saying in voice chat about my partner. Cut it out. If you have an issue with my life, say it directly to me." Watch how fast that keyboard bravado evaporates when there’s no mute button to hide behind. Real friends don't talk behind your back just because you're happy.