But, sitting there for 14 years cashing checks and pretending everything is ok, only to level your partner at the earliest point of convenience is a pretty shitty thing to do as well.

None of this would have happened if Opie didn't lie for several months straight. He said since the start Ant wanted to leave and he politely corrected "no I didn't, I loved the show." He said he'd like to go back. He defended Opie. For months this continued, and Opie started slowly changing the story, and doubling-down on what he assumed Ant was thinking. Never allowed himself to be corrected, or (in my opinion) refused to because it fit his story. He looks like the good guy if Ant didn't want to be there. He got more and more audacious with it and then what always happens happened.

Also, self-serving? And why is it the "earliest point of convenience?" What is convenient here? What if the benefit of him doing it right now? What is the timing? How did he cash in on anything? How was the heat generated from this burned bridge enough to generate any positive energy?

And Ant's the guy driving the stake through the heart of the O&A 'legacy' basically telling everyone it's all bullshit, they hated each other, still hate each other, and want nothing to do with each other.

You're confusing him with Opie, who said "I don't like you" repeatedly. Opie is the one who was all broken up that they didn't chat like besties like they used to. And even though he was, he also admitted to making no effort to being closer because he didn't like him.

I'm not a Team Ant/Team Opie guy but it's clear as day that all of this percolated because Opie couldn't shut his self-serving mouth trying to speak on Ant's motives in a lazy attempt to make the fans like him more, thinking that they felt "betrayed" by his lack of effort when in fact they don't like him cause he's a dismissive, annoying hack. Even now, he keeps saying that Ant is somehow behind the haters pulling the strings. He's insane.