Betty is the narrator’s romantic rival in Taylor Swift’s “august” love triangle. The song’s narrator has a summer relationship with James, but James ultimately returns to Betty.
The story spans three folklore songs: “august” is told by the unnamed young woman, “betty” is told by James, and “cardigan” is told by Betty. Together, the tracks show the same fictional situation from different viewpoints.
The narrator is often identified by fans as Augustine, a name Swift mentioned informally for the character. That nickname does not replace Betty’s role: Betty is the explicitly named person connected to James outside the narrator’s summer romance.