Thank you Tsukiko-chan for your reply. I am still in sporadic touch with this person, for me understanding why he acted as he did was a big issue, I was unable to just walk away. He did apologise, and offered some way of explanation, but I suspect there was more to it which I'll never know. It underlined to me that we can never really know someone purely online.

I chose not to have any more exclusively online friendships. Writing on here is not the same as it's not 'personal'. For me painful though it was at the time I chose to work at my real life social life, and have made some wonderful 'real life' friends since then. So it lead to good things for me.

I hope this phase for you will evolve into something more positive too. You did not deserve what was levelled at you, you deserve better friends. You are worth more.