'AITA for cutting off from my best friend after he cheated on his GF and asked me to lie for him?'

A 28-year-old man, going by the user name No-Description-9170, recently shared his story on the popular Reddit forum r/AITA, seeking advice after falling out with his best friend, Callum, 29, over a situation involving infidelity and dishonesty.

The user explained that he and Callum had been inseparable since high school, and when Callum invited him on a trip to Rome, he eagerly agreed. What was meant to be a week of sightseeing and relaxation soon turned into a moral dilemma.

Redditor distances himself from best friend after cheating incident and request to lie

A few nights into the trip, "Callum hooked up with someone he met at a bar," despite being in a committed relationship with his girlfriend, Emma (27), whom the user described as an "amazing person" who had always treated him well.

The original poster (OP) wrote, "He’s been with his girlfriend, Emma (27F), for over four years. She’s an amazing person who has always treated him like gold."

The next morning, Callum admitted to the infidelity casually, brushing it off with the phrase, "What happens in Rome stays in Rome."

The situation worsened when Callum asked his friend to lie on his behalf if Emma ever suspected something was wrong. “You’re my mate—just tell her we were at the Colosseum all night,” Callum reportedly said.

However, the Redditor made it clear that he was uncomfortable with the idea of lying, "I told him I wasn’t comfortable lying for him, and that cheating wasn’t something I could condone."

His refusal to back him up led to a confrontation, with Callum accusing him of being “self-righteous” and not acting like a true friend.

When the Redditor returned home to Dubai, he decided to distance himself from Callum, feeling the breach of trust was too much to overlook. “It’s not a big deal—it’s just a trip fling. Don’t ruin my relationship over nothing,” Callum had told him, downplaying the gravity of the situation.

Despite this, the user’s decision to cut ties has drawn mixed reactions from their mutual friends, some of whom sided with Callum, arguing that the Redditor should have stayed quiet.

Redditors support user’s decision to distance from friend

The post quickly gained traction, sparking discussions on loyalty, integrity, and the boundaries of friendship. The Reddit community supported OP’s decision, applauding his refusal to enable his friend’s dishonesty.

A user said, "NTA Please tell his girlfriend. She deserves knowing the truth. He already doesn't like you, so you got nothing to lose. Same goes for your mutuals - what's wrong with their morals, that they don't care about a cheater? How can their girlfriends or wives ever trust them, if they don't stand their ground against a cheater and excuse his behaviour?"

Another added, "Mutual friends? He told others? NTA. This kind of stuff can come back to haunt you. BTW, you do know that this isn’t the first time that he’s cheated, don’t you?"

One commentator remarked, "NTA. You’re not wrong for standing by your values and refusing to cover for someone’s hurtful actions. Loyalty doesn’t mean enabling bad behavior, especially at someone else’s expense."

"Exactly, there’s no reason to lie. What you tolerate sets the standard," wrote one.

A person said, "NTA. If 'What happens in Rome stays in Rome' includes betraying someone who trusts you, then it's a good thing integrity doesn't take vacations. You did the right thing by not covering for him. True friends don't make friends accomplices in their mess."

Someone else chimed in, "NTA. In fact you are a more honourable man than most. A lot of men turn a blind eye and then laugh and be buddy-buddy with their friend’s girlfriends."

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