What’s going on with my friend, and how should I respond?
I (20, female) have been friends with another girl (also 20) since we started college together three years ago. She has faced numerous hardships, including divorced parents due to domestic violence, an absent father, severe daddy issues (which I also relate to), obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, compulsive shopping, and an eating disorder that alternates between anorexia and binge eating. I genuinely liked her, and I still care about her. She has shown me deep affection. However, she recently took actions that I cannot ignore. I broke up with my ex-boyfriend last November because he was verbally and emotionally abusive. That story is long and deserves its own post; suffice it to say, I was ready to end things long before the breakup. My friend was supportive during this tough time, offering reassurance that truly helped. However, two weeks post-breakup, I reconnected with an old flame, and things quickly progressed into dating again. I wouldn’t have moved on so fast if I hadn’t been emotionally detached from my ex since August, and now, I don’t have any regrets. My current boyfriend is supportive, a much better match, and he actually likes me for who I am, which makes me very happy. The issue lies with my friend, who is not genuinely happy for me. At first, I thought she might have been put off by how fast things were moving, which I could understand. But soon, she began acting strangely and obsessively. One day, while my boyfriend and I were having lunch on campus, she asked to join us. Once there, she started insulting him in thinly veiled “jokes,” and when he kissed my hand, she shouted that he was a psychopath who might harm me. When I confronted her later, she dismissed it as a joke, but it certainly didn’t seem that way. My boyfriend later informed me that she had touched him inappropriately while I wasn't looking, which made me furious. I controlled my anger and approached her to discuss what happened, but she denied any wrongdoing. She launched into rants about how the “cool girls” in class supposedly hated us (they don’t), and claimed everyone was jealous of her because, despite being "fat," she had hooked up with one guy and was best friends with another (which she isn’t). She insulted our classmates, calling them ugly and brainless. It was shocking to hear, and I felt physically ill. Then she had the audacity to say she didn’t talk badly about them because she wasn't like them. It was clear she was deeply deluded and arrogant. Her comments about my body have also been weird and unsettling. She often talks about my appearance rather than seeing me as a person. The way she talks is reminiscent of misogynistic men objectifying women, which makes me uncomfortable. While I share my insecurities with her, she fixates solely on how I look, which feels incredibly objectifying and creepy. She's also overly curious about my relationship, asking intrusive questions about how my boyfriend dresses, kisses, and treats me. It’s all quite unsettling. Recently, when my boyfriend visited again, she ordered us to kiss in front of her. My initial reaction was one of disbelief. She insisted he looked like he wanted a kiss. I didn’t want to give her that kind of control, but I felt compelled to kiss him to avoid sending the wrong message. After that, she reverted almost to normal, albeit still ridiculing him. My boyfriend, being the respectful person he is, tries to be polite to my friends, but my best friend ultimately scolded her for her behavior. I was too stunned by her actions to react defensively, and I often take my time to process situations before acting. My best friend and I had made plans, including her, but I started to feel unsafe around her. I asked if I could bring my boyfriend along for safety, and she agreed, expressing concern for my well-being. Then my friend asked if I was acting like a “pick me” because I left a lipstick mark on my boyfriend's cheek. It made me uncomfortable, given that he is my boyfriend; why shouldn’t I mark him? She later acted as if nothing had happened, which should have felt good but just left me feeling distrustful. I’ve even had nightmares about her harming me, and my parents have warned me against accepting anything from her. I feel obligated to forgive her, knowing she has her issues, but I'm struggling with feelings of distrust. What if she turns against me again? It feels like she views me as competition, leaving me feeling unsafe. Am I just being paranoid?