For context, I'm in my 20s, I'm very meek and I have been trying to put myself out there more, to improve my social skills. I'm doing well financially, but I'm extremely sensitive and susceptible to peer-pressure. Like, to a fault. I have trouble saying no, and I'm easy to take advantage of. I joined a hobby group, and befriended someone we'll call Bethany. This group takes several trips to various cons and social events. Every time one of these meetups happens, Bethany starts complaining to me in-private like "Ohh you guys will have so much fun... without me. I wish I could come, but I just can't. I don't ever get to go anywhere." I don't really care to, but I feel guilty if I don't, so I eventually offer to cover her costs. This happens three times. I notice that she doesn't complain to anyone else like this, just me, and after finding out through a mutual friend that she's not struggling, I suspect she's taking advantage of my generosity. I explain to her that I don't want to have to pay for more trips, and hoped she can figure it out for herself. She claims: "I wasn't *asking* for money, I was just venting!!" and then accuses me of being sexually interested in her and said that I'd been attempting to "bribe her into a relationship" this whole time. This isn't true. I sincerely was never attracted to her, I just have a habit of being overly-generous and investing too much into my friends, and no inappropriate comments were ever made. Regardless, she tells everyone in our peer group, and everyone blocks me, and excommunicates me from the space altogether. The whole thing makes me feel dirty. I equate it to tech support scammers who coerce you into buying gift-cards, and then claim: 'you volunteered to do it!' when they're called out. I certainly have egg on my face about the whole thing, but it's so frustrating because Bethany is more charismatic than me, she has more social power in our circle, and she's able to control the narrative so I can't even find any support for what feels like character asssassination.🤦 Despite knowing my values, when everyone believes a false narrative, it shakes you quite a bit. I have no chance at legal recourse or social redemption, I'm just looking for inner-peace about the whole thing. It really sucks because it's to do with a hobby that I really love, and I feel this experience has soiled it a bit. Can somebody just tell me I'm not crazy?? Was she really just venting about not being able to afford trips, or had she been dry-begging?? What do you think, AITA?