FWIW, I have been able to do this without alienating friends. My Sim had a BFF. They argued (she initiated mean interactions) until they were no longer BFFs. Then she begged forgiveness, made a smooth apology, and talked her right back up into being good friends, but did not ask her to be BFF. This took .. what, 2 Sim-hours, maybe? She made another BFF, rinse, repeat. I knew about this, so I made sure not to make her first 4 BFFs family members. Anyway, it was not traumatic or awful. She's still good friends with the first 4 BFFs, and she completed the Friend of the World aspiration.