They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 07

They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 07

The first week in my new place, no one contacted 

1. me. 

Not no one. None of the eight. 

It felt like punishment. 

Enzo didn’t call or text. 

Elena didn’t ask what was wrong. 

Marco didn’t even check whether I was alive. 

The silence made it feel like I’d never existed. 

On the eighth day, Enzo finally texted. 

“Kira, that package from whatever membership thing you have showed up.” 

“Want me to forward it to your new address, or should I toss it?” 

That was what finally made him reach out. 

Not “Are you okay?” Not “Can we talk?” 

A package. 

I replied, “Toss it.” 

He wrote, “Okay.” 

Then nothing again. 

Three days later, Elena called. 

I hesitated, then answered. 

“Kira, what’s going on? I haven’t seen you in days.” 

“I moved.” 

“You… moved?” Her voice tightened. “Did you and Enzo fight?” 

“We broke up.” 

The line went silent for a full five seconds. 

“… Why?” 

“You know why.” 

More silence. 

Then she said, “Kira, is this about that group?” 

“Let me explain…” 

“No need.” 

“It’s not what you think. That group was just…” 

“Elena, answer one question for me.” 

“…Okay.” 

“You told me you had to be at the docks 

supervising a shipment. Then you went to the 

backyard barbecue.” 

“What would you call that?” 

She didn’t answer. 

I said, “I don’t hate you. But I don’t want to be 

friends anymore.” 

After I hung up, my hands shook. 

Not fear. My hands shook because, for the first 

time in a long time, I’d finally said it out loud. 

That night, Marco called and went straight on the 

attack. 

“Did you break up with Enzo?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why? What did he do to you?” 

“Marco, you’ve been in that group for two years. 

You tell me.” 

He hesitated. Guilt slipped into his voice, then 

vanished under defensiveness. 

“Nobody in that group was saying anything bad 

about you. Sometimes we just wanted to hang out 

without you.” 

“That’s normal. You can’t break up with him over 

something like that…” 

“Normal?” 

“You’re reading too much into it. You’re too 

sensitive. Everybody says so.” 

“Everyone says that.” 

I repeated the words. “Everybody says so. In the 

group chat, right?” 

He stopped talking. 

“Marco, when you were fifteen and had that high. fever, I took three days off to look after you and 

lost half my bonus. Do you remember?” 

“That was years ago…” 

“When you were seventeen and wanted those 

limited–edition sneakers, I picked up another job and worked myself sick to buy them for you. Do 

you remember?” 

“Kira, don’t drag up old stuff…” 

“I’m not.” 

“I’m asking when you decided it was normal to lie 

to me and leave me out.” 

He was quiet for a long time. 

Finally he said, “Kira, don’t keep score. Me hanging out with Enzo and the others has nothing to do with you.” 

“Fine. Next time you need money, don’t come to 

1. me. Ask Enzo.” 

I hung up. 

I set the phone facedown on the table. 

I sat in my small rented apartment. 

No them. No one else, either. 

And somehow, I could breathe easier. 

The next day at work, I noticed the flower shop 

downstairs was looking for temporary help. 

I went in and asked. The owner said she needed 

someone on weekends and asked if I was 

interested. 

I thought about it. “Sure.” 

That Saturday morning, for the first time, I spent a 

weekend on my own with no plans, no lies, and no 

one shutting me out.