Chapter 3
The People Who Weren’t There
The chapter recounts the author’s experiences with manipulation and fake relationships, emphasizing a persistent sense of isolation and betrayal.
I met people who said they wanted to help. They used words like trust and healing, but the words never stayed the same. One day they’d be kind, the next they’d look at me like I was something to fix—or something to use. I learned to smile when I needed to, to nod at the right times. It didn’t matter what they promised. What mattered was that I was still alone, even when they were standing right in front of me.
There were others who acted like they cared, but only when it suited them. They’d show up with food or a place to sleep, then disappear when things got hard. I stopped keeping track of who was real and who wasn’t. It was easier that way. Easier to pretend I didn’t notice when they’d turn their backs, when their voices changed, when their hands reached for something I wasn’t offering.
I told myself it didn’t hurt. But it did.