Towards a career? or backstabbed?

[Dylflon]

He's acting irrationaly because he feels that he's a failure. I have seen this several times before. Now, instinctively men feel they have to be the provider. We can't help that. That's just the way we are. If he loses his job and you take his position that probably makes him feel like less of a man so to speak. He's most likely feeling crummy that he lost his job and it hurts him to see you come in and take his job. It's a big blow to his pride.
I think that may be tricky for any of us to deal with. (Someone we cared about taking our job. Think about it.)

Now, I'm not saying he wasn't acting irrationally. In fact, he was being kind of a jerk. But I also feel that he can't help the way he's feeling. So, if you care about him and he'll be enough of a man to talk it through with you and accept that you may get his job, then give him another shot.