If they respect and care for you, they’ll recognize the hell they’re putting you through by carrying on with open warfare. A good friend or a good boyfriend will try to put aside their feelings about someone you love… at least in public. Naturally, if they want to vent, they can. But it just can’t be to you. In the end, if one of them continues to embroil you in the hostility, well, it’ll make it easier to decide who to drop.

Amy Morton is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in Los Angeles. Visit www.amymorton.com for more about Amy.