Man sparks Twitter debate after buying flowers for girlfriend's best friend

Three might not be a crowd for one Indiana college student — and her boyfriend, and her best friend — after the woman recently praised her beau on social media for buying flowers for her gal pal after she was cheated on.

In the days since the young woman shared the news to Twitter, the collegian has admitted she’s “shocked” that her boyfriend’s good deed has gone viral, especially after commenters began debating whether or not the well-intentioned gesture crossed the boundary of friendship into romance.

“My best friend was cheated on by her boyfriend, and MY boyfriend bought her flowers just to show her that she deserves better than a cheater,” Abi Gibson wrote on Twitter last week, sharing photos of purple blooms. “He knows if he’s dating me, he’s dating my friends.”

The Ball State University student's tweet quickly received over 3,000 shares, 22,000 likes and more than 1,200 comments — some from folks sharing their very heated reactions.

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One user told Gibson that it was her duty to cheer up her best friend after her heartbreak, while another agreed that it would only be OK for someone to “maybe” give flowers to their significant other’s mother.

"Your boyfriend is also dating YOUR FRIENDS," one wrote, using the author's own wording against her.

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In defense of the good deed, fans of Gibson’s beau said the man was a “gentleman” and insisted that the thoughtful gesture was totally innocent.

Other Twittizens, meanwhile, seized the moment to poke fun at the chatter, declaring that the trio was officially in a “love triangle.” One commenter asked Gibson, for example, if she’d mind if her boyfriend and best friend split a bottle of wine (instead of exchanging flowers) to discuss the incident.

Commenting on the overnight hype, Gibson told Fox News she's "shocked" by the attention her story has since received.

"I was honestly shocked that the tweet became so controversial, although the amount of positive feedback was outweighed by the negative comments," she said on Tuesday. "I have not let the comments get under my skin too much. I do see the misconception of the tweet, although I meant it more as a metaphor. My friends are his friends."

The 21-year-old explained that her boyfriend, Max Kupfer, was recently inspired to surprise her close pal Stephanie Baker with flowers after her boyfriend cheated on her, in hopes of cheering her up.

"Since dating Max, he knows how much my family and friends mean to me. He saw how upset Stephanie was and wanted to do something to cheer her up," Gibson told Fox News.

"Before buying the flowers, he asked me if it would come off creepy and for my approval. I told him that it was a sweet gesture and Stephanie would appreciate it," she said. "Max wanted Stephanie to know that not all guys are cheaters [or] liars… and that he would always be there for her."

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"I wanted to cheer her up and do something nice for her,” Kupfer, 21, echoed in agreement to BuzzFeed News.

According to Baker, the sweet surprise was so overwhelming and unexpected, the flowers “almost made [her] cry."

"It made my day better knowing I had people around me who cared for, and supported, me so much," she said of the kind act. "I really appreciated the gesture."

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In a larger sense, Gibson said that the viral Twitter saga has not affected her relationship with Kupfer or Baker in any way, and that she’s thankful that they all share a genuine friendship.

“I think a lot of relationships have trouble balancing both significant other and friends, where they feel torn between the two,” she told Fox News. “I am glad that my best friend and my boyfriend are friends, because we all get to hang out on a regular basis.”