> You really have no way of knowing if your friends still think of you the same post-employment even if you’re still acquainted.
I don't know about that. Sure, they might not have been totally happy with it, but if they're still friends with them, clearly they didn't hold any grudged. I think it's reasonable to give someone the benefit of the doubt that they aren't just being oblivious to the fact that they've been ghosted or something unless you have evidence to the contrary.
