Sometimes the hardest word to utter in a friendship is a firm “no.”

When a man refused to lend more money to a friend who still owed him from past loans, he was quickly labeled selfish and distant by the very person who’d leaned on him for years.

You’ll want to keep reading for the full story.

AITA for refusing to lend my friend money after they kept avoiding paying me back?

So I (24M) have a friend (27M) who I’ve known for years.

Over time, he’s asked to borrow money multiple times for different reasons—rent, food, emergencies, etc.

At first, I didn’t mind helping because I genuinely care about him.

But there’s one big catch.

The problem is, he rarely pays me back on time, and sometimes I have to keep reminding him.

There were even a couple of times where he completely ignored me when I asked about it, only to come back later asking for more money like nothing happened.

Recently, he asked me again for a pretty large amount.

This time, he decided to put his foot down.

I told him I couldn’t help this time unless he cleared what he already owed me.

He got upset and said I was being selfish and that “real friends help each other no matter what.”

Now this friend is playing dirty.

Now he’s been distant and telling mutual friends that I switched up on him when he needed me most.

I feel bad because I know he’s going through a tough time, but I also feel like I’m being taken advantage of.

AITA?

This whole situation is a massive red flag.

What did Reddit think?

It’s clear this friend sees him more like an ATM than anything else.

True friendships are built off more than just familiarity.

When it comes to lending money, you have to follow your own rules, not anyone else’s.

An actual friend would want to repay the money.

Asking to be repaid isn’t selfish at all. In fact, it’s completely reasonable.

Accountability isn’t everyones forte.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.