Hello everyone,
I’ve had a strong friendship with a coworker for some time. Recently, I confessed my romantic feelings to her, but she’s in a relationship. Consequently, I’ve decided to step back, which has been distressing for her due to her highly valuing our friendship and also past social anxieties and trauma. I’m handling this situation delicately, especially as we share the same workspace. While I’m not in a supervisory position, I do have a significant social role at work and want to maintain a comfortable environment for both of us, especially for her. Despite my attempts to communicate, she’s not open to discussing things verbally.
I’m struggling with two questions. Firstly, **is it unfair to end our long friendship just because my romantic feelings aren’t mutual?** Secondly, t**o what extent am I responsible for ensuring her comfort in the workplace**? Being close to me made her feel more socially secure, but I’m no longer feel this closeness with her, I feel bad taking away something provided her with emotional security.
\*\*TL;DR;\*\* : **I have feelings for a close friend that are not mutual, i’ve terminated this friendship and it causes her distress. what should i do?**
Would love to hear your thoughts on the situation!