The pain of being misunderstood!
What I've come to realize is that there are people with this poor mentality that you really can't do anything to correct that except you give yourself that space. Imagine having to explain to someone you connected to your cousin, you didn't went at his back to ginger his disqualification. Rationally, wasn't he supposed to confront your calmly even if he heard a rumour..?
Well, you did well by airing out your mind that way to him..
Thank you for sharing this with us @chizzy100