Short Story

LIKE A KNIFE IN THE BACK

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

The prompt for
Stream of Consciousness Saturday
is to include the words “to me”.
This is my response.

Whenever there’s an upset in my life, I ask myself the same question: “How could this be happening to me again?”

Sometimes I wonder if I’m a total sap to give myself entirely to a friendship and at some point end up getting hurt. I don’t know …. maybe I’m delusional but I expect people to treat me the same as I treat them. Perhaps “expect” is too strong a word; after all, do I really have the right to expect people to behave a certain way just because I think they should?

Someone once told me my expectations are unrealistic and that I can’t “will” someone to act or react a certain way simply because I want them to. Perhaps he was right. I think about his words when I feel hurt or angry.

So, yes, I was hurt once again by a friend going behind my back and lying to me. This leaves me wondering if I bring this sort of behavior on myself or if I’m just unfortunate with some of the friendships I have made?

One thing I simply cannot tolerate is lying. I have a personal pact with myself never to tell lies. I know people lie all the time; is it too much to ask those near and dear not to lie to me?

Writing about this recent hurt is cleansing and I have decided I will put it behind me. What gives me some small amount of satisfaction is the fact that the person who lied to me knows that I know. This friend certainly went to a lot of trouble to cover all the tracks but they weren’t 100% successful. First of all, I am nobody’s fool and I catch on fast. Secondly, when you involve a third party into the plot, things can go horribly wrong very quickly. And last, my friend slipped up by making a comment online which I saw through immediately; as I said, I am nobody’s fool. The plotting and scheming behind my back compounded with the lie is particularly vicious; it was entirely intentional. You can’t get much lower than that.

Well, while I am going through this cleansing period, I am not above admitting that I hope the liar(s) are squirming and feeling guilty about stabbing me in the back. This was a grievous act on their part; could an admission and an apology be on the way?

NAR © 2023
#SoCS

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 9, 2023

This is “Positively 4th Street” by Dylan

29 thoughts on “LIKE A KNIFE IN THE BACK”

  1. Sorry, this has happened to you. Hopefully writing has helped release some of the emotions associated with the experience. This type of drama is better suited in your fantastic fiction, not with a so-called friend.

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  3. I am the same I give my all open up my heart give all my secrets away and then boom I get that kick or knife in the back…. I hope the are big enough to apologise but you’d never trust them again 💜💜💜

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    1. If you’re asking if we would simply kiss and make up, it’s highly unlikely. I’m reminded of a husband and wife and their grown son who used to live across the way from me; the couple were both medical researchers and their son held some sort of office position within their company. The son was caught embezzling from his parent’s company and they pressed charges against him! Can you imagine how awkward it was for all three of them to sit around the dinner table every night? What kind of conversations did they have? I realize the situations are not quite the same but the point I’m trying to make is my friend didn’t exactly borrow my chapstick without asking first! Once words are spoken or lines are crossed, it’s practically impossible to forgive and forget.

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  9. I feel you. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely this person will ever admit their wrongdoing and even less likely that they’ll apologize, given how totally intentional this was. I feel sometimes that I’m a magnet for unsafe people too. Then I remember I at least have my spouse.

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  10. You don’t need people like that in your life Nancy. They are not your friends, just users out for their own gain.
    We thought there was something wrong with us as we had ‘friends’ who suddenly turned on us when we were no longer convenient to them, slagging us off to people who didn’t even know us. We kicked them into touch and became wary of everyone.
    It wasn’t until we were on the boat that we realised it was not us at all, we just made poor choices.
    We are still friendly, but wary and although we know a lot of people, friends are few.

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