so, this is gonna sound a little crazy, but hear me out. i (22f) have been friends with emily (23f) since high school. we’ve always been close, but we’ve always had some underlying competition too. you know, the kind where you’re constantly trying to outdo each other, but still support each other at the same time? it was fine when it was about grades or school achievements, but things got really intense once we both graduated and started applying for jobs in the same industry.

we both studied marketing, and after graduation, we found out we were both applying for the same position at this really high-end marketing firm. at first, i was confident — i had a lot of internship experience, good references, the whole deal. but then i found out emily was applying too, and it got to me. she’s always been a little bit more outgoing, a little more charming, and i knew she had a better chance at landing the job than i did.

a few weeks ago, i found out that emily had gotten an interview for the position, and it was scheduled just a couple of days before mine. now, here's where it gets bad. i had a moment of weakness. i knew that emily had a couple of personal stories she always mentioned during interviews to make herself seem more relatable and get people to warm up to her. so, i accidentally let slip to a friend at the company that emily had been talking about some of her personal struggles in her resume-building process.

long story short, after that, emily didn’t get the job. i didn’t hear anything directly from her, but she posted on social media about being “heartbroken” over not getting it. i did get the job. i felt super guilty, but at the same time, i couldn’t help but feel relieved.

now, it’s been a couple of weeks, and i feel so conflicted. on one hand, i can’t shake the guilt, but on the other hand, i know this job is a huge opportunity for me, and i don’t want to jeopardize it. emily hasn’t spoken to me much since the news came out, and i’m worried that she might find out what i did eventually.

so, aita for doing what i did, or was i just doing what i had to in order to secure my future?