When your friend becomes your rival.....

The emergence of a potential suitor for someone whom you secretly admire is often the time that you realize how deep your feelings is for him/her.

It hurts even more if that new rival in love is someone whom you consider a good friend. There will always be a sense of betrayal whenever this situation occurs.

However, relationship is always a fair game, especially if the 3rd party has absolutely no idea of the secret admiration.

Even if he/she does know anything about the admiration, I don't think that it is wrong for him/her to pursue something which he/she thinks will possibly lead to lifetime happiness.

While saying that, I'm not somebody who will actually jeopardize the friendship unless I'm totally sure that something can come out of it.

The worst case scenario is that the 'betrayed' person fails to acknowledge his/her true feelings and continues to deny it.

Denial definitely won't help solve the problem; I feel that admitting to the feelings and also to the fact the friend is now a love rival is the way to go. Putting up a good and fair fight is the best way to prevent any regrets in the future.

Friendships can be fragile; even the best of friends for many years can become the most bitter enemies overnight.

I really don't like to see a friendship of many years to be destroyed in such a situation.