My brother’s toxic ex is dating my uni lab partner, and I felt sick with guilt every time he moped in our family group chat. When I finally confessed today, he laughed and admitted he set them up on purpose months ago just to get rid of her. Am I allowed to be furious that he let me sweat through weeks of guilt for literally nothing?

Pour yourself a drink and exhale: your conscience is completely cleared, though your brother probably belongs in an international espionage ring. Here you were, sweating through organic chemistry and carrying the emotional weight of a betrayal that wasn't even yours, while he was playing 4D chess with toxic biohazards. It’s wild, slightly brilliant, and absolutely unhinged that he turned your innocent lab partner into an unwitting diversion tactic—and let you suffer in silence just to keep his cover. Yes, you have every right to be annoyed. You were treating his heartbreak like a fragile piece of glass, and it turns out he was running a black-ops dating agency. Your immediate move: cash in that guilt trip. Next time he posts a single sad meme or dramatic quote in the family chat, just text him privately: "Cut the Oscar campaign, Cupid, you owe me a very expensive dinner for emotional distress." Keep your head down in lab, let the happy new couple run their course, and never challenge your brother to poker.