Newsflash: Buyers agent drama

How should I have handled this situation?In 2022 was moving back to my hometown after 5 years away. The market was nuts. I know several realtors but decided to work with one who seemed to have a lot of pocket listings, hoping I’d find something before it even hit the market. We looked at 7-8 houses and I made offers on two, which I didn’t get. I never signed any agreement with her. After about three months I was over it, and I decided to rent a house and take a break. Well, after being in the rental a few months, a different realtor friend called me out of the blue about a house that hadn’t hit the market. He knew I had moved back and wasnt sure if I had bought yet. I went to see it with him and made an offer that day which was accepted, and I ultimately closed on it. The original realtor I had worked with eventually found out and was obviously miffed about this. I totally understand her annoyance, but at the same time I’m not sure what I was supposed to do. The realtor who brought the house to me was not the listing agent, and it was a pocket listing, so I couldn’t have brought her in as my buyers agent without cutting him out in some way. This is a smaller city, so we all run in the same social circles. She and I seem to be in a better place, but I know she still has bad feelings. Is there a way I could have handled that situation better?