Hi everyone, I’m in a tough situation and could use some advice.

I’ve (34F) been close friends with F(35F) for a long time, but past week her partner, M (37M) has been telling lies about me during a trip. M has a habit of being dishonest, especially about his financial situation. He told 2 of our mutual friends that he was broke, which led them to pay for a lot of his expenses. Then, out of nowhere, he bought an expensive car, and when questioned about it, he claimed he had just been “good at saving.” This led to questions from these 2 friends, one in particular and they got into a ldisagreement about it on the end of the trip.

When one of these 2 mutual friends confronted him about this contradiction, M eventually shifted the blame onto me, when they got into the disagreement, accusing me of being hypocritical and ungrateful (which isn’t true – I did thank him many times for giving me a ride on a trip). Now, F, who is also dealing with her own health and mental issues, doesn’t want to talk to me and says she needs time to “process things.”

I’m feeling really hurt and frustrated by M’s manipulation and the way it’s affecting my relationship with F. I’ve already lost many friends in the past, partly due to my own health struggles (I’m dealing with cancer), and I don’t want to lose F too.

I’m torn between wanting to confront M about his lies and just letting it go. I also don’t want to pressure F, but I’m struggling with how to handle this situation without damaging our friendship. I don’t think confronting M will end up in anything good, because he is the kind of person who is always right and will never admit he is wrong. Even to a point where he started to use manipulative tactics (on me) during our last convo and telling lies about the other 2 friends.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, or can anyone offer advice on how to approach this? How can I protect myself from his manipulation while also maintaining my friendship with F?

Thanks in advance for any insights or suggestions.