AIO or is there something wrong with me

Hey everyone, I (25M) am generally introverted by personality, and lately, I’ve been feeling really confused about my relationships and whether the problem is me or just the situation.

About a year ago, I joined a startup where there are only two other employees. I got a bit emotionally involved with one of them — she’s around my age — and things got messed up. I don’t really want to get into details, but let’s just say I got attached and now I’m in the process of detaching. That experience made me more aware — I can now easily read people’s intentions from how they talk or act.

Like, in her case — whenever she needs help, she’s super nice and initiates conversations, but otherwise keeps her distance. I can see through that now, and I guess that’s just how most people behave. Anyway, this post isn’t about her.

It’s more about my friendships. I had one good friend from school — we used to bond over gaming, anime, and random stuff. But since I started my job, I barely have time for those things, so we kind of ran out of things to talk about. I also feel like he’s become a bit jealous since I started earning (none of our other friends are working yet). His tone has changed — more taunting, less warmth. Our conversations have become shorter and less frequent.

Recently, it was Diwali (I live in India). I went home for the holidays. We wished each other on Diwali day, but nobody asked if I was home or wanted to meet up. Then on the last night of the holidays, he suddenly conference-called me, asking why I didn’t tell him I was home. When I said he could’ve asked earlier so we could’ve planned something, he replied, “Why didn’t you call or text me?” It honestly felt like he was just trying to make me feel guilty for not meeting him.

I even tried talking to him once before — told him that ever since I joined the job, he seems different. He completely denied it and said I’m just assuming things. But how do I ignore the change in his tone and behaviour?

Now I feel stuck — my work environment isn’t great, my friendship feels like it’s falling apart, and I’m not sure what to do. Do I confront him again and tell him how I feel? Do I just let things fade and move on? Or should I keep initiating conversations even if the vibe doesn’t feel right anymore?

I don’t know if I’m overthinking everything or if I’m genuinely losing people. I’m honestly going through a lonely period of my life right now, and it’s starting to weigh on me.

TL;DR: Got emotionally attached to a coworker, things got messy. My only close friend from school seems distant and maybe jealous since I started working. Tried talking it out but he denied anything’s wrong. Now I feel lonely and unsure if I should confront him, let things fade, or keep trying.