DEAR ABBY: A friend and I played bridge together for about eight years. I thought we had a close friendship. I introduced her to online bridge because I knew she missed playing in person. She immediately became hypercritical and started telling me and the other two ladies what we were doing wrong and what we should be doing. She was especially hard on me.
In private emails, I tried, to no avail, telling her that this game was not worth losing our friendship over. Her barbs continued for the next two weeks, all aimed specifically at me. After three tries to explain how her attitude was eroding our bond, I stopped responding. She had been extremely cruel the last time we played.
She called me a dictator and resigned from playing with us. I have no problem filling her spot, but the last email she sent me was titled "death of a friendship." We haven't spoken since, and I don't know what to do. Should I just leave it or make some further attempt to repair the friendship? I had never seen this behavior in her to this extent before, and I cannot understand what provoked it. -- JUST A GAME IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR JUST A GAME: Whatever provoked your former partner to turn on you and attempt to embarrass you in front of the other players, I cannot guess either. However, in light of what has happened, you would be better off blocking her emails if she sends any more. She may be right -- the friendship is dead. But the person who killed it was her.