Not OP, but this definitely happens in this hobby more than you might think. Dunno if we're talking about the same person, but I recently escaped someone who fits this to a T.

They're probably talking about me like I was the devil, and from the looks of how many people pat their ass, they're probably believing it, but you just have to move past it and hope that your friends are better than that. Don't let them get to you because you'll be happier without them. Manipulative people like that need to be nipped in the bud.