I couldn't grasp why she was so blind; was it just me who saw the manipulation, the gaslighting? I couldn't tell; maybe I was just reading too much into certain energy, maybe I was too observant that I couldn't play dumb or blind to certain types of behaviors. I couldn't say anything without any evidence. So I just kept my silence.
In a group of three lovely ladies, I was the only one who was single, of course single and not mingling, at least not enough to get the type of boyfriends my besties had. Rich, smart, tall, and of course with good breath. That was a bonus if you asked me.
My girlies were perfect until, when it came to their boyfriends, there was this invisible competition about who had the best boyfriend, and there was me, the third wheel in almost everything, left out of most of their fun even when I tagged along. I had a nagging feeling that I just didn't belong.
I met Patience after I graduated, and later on, Joy was introduced into our group, and we all became friends.
Patience was a fun girl; she loved outings a lot, and she loved spending money. Overall, she was a daddy's girl, a rich man's daughter at that. She always wanted me to tag along and still felt a bit of empathy for me when I refused to go out with them.
While Joy wasn't having it, I had to tag along in everything, whether I liked it or not; she knew nothing when it came to a person's personal space, privacy, or alone time. She was hell-bent on taking me everywhere, and most of the time she succeeded in dragging me out of my hiding spots.
I won't lie; I really had fun. They were those types of friends you keep around if you want to spice up your day. David and Patience were the rich couple, while Eno and Joy were the unique couple.
Eno and Joy were two different beings, like opposite attractions, because Eno was an introvert; he just went out because of Joy. Every time Eno came to one of our outings, he was always in a bad mood; his glare gave the message he didn't want to be around anyone. Bro was one hardcore introvert. But he came anyway, maybe for Joy.
David was your typical outgoing boy and had a bad boy vibe. I, for one, was never close with David, not because I was envious or jealous; it was nothing of that sort. I just never liked his aura, his stares; there was just something pervy about how he looked at Joy. And he wasn't hiding it.
He was that kind of guy who would place his hands on another girl under the table while discussing serious matters with his girlfriend. Yet I couldn't fathom the reason why his girlfriend couldn't see it. He was openly lusting after Joy. I think Eno noticed but didn't say a thing about it, while Joy, on the other hand, I have caught her staring back at him multiple times. So there was something going on, yet that something was unknown.
Like every other outing, I was involved. But this time it was a Saturday, and every living being knows it's a day where you rest after doing intensive house chores. I had purposely ignored my phone because it started ringing at 7 in the morning. And for the life of me, I just couldn't comprehend why anyone would call me on a Saturday…if not my friends.
It was late by the time I finished cleaning my house; all the laundry was done, and I was cleaning all the kitchen utensils. I was super hungry, but I needed a shower. While taking a bath, I was singing along with Billie Eilish, Bad Guy. The song assailed my ears as I tried to mimic every word of the song, and when I came out, I got a shock of my 22 years of well-lived life. My friends were in my bedroom!!, scattering my box for an outfit for me. And that's how my right to freedom and peace were taken away from me.
We went to a restaurant to eat. As we waited for our order, I glared at Patience, still not over the whole kidnapping me to join them.
“I have told you guys more times than I can count, every Saturday is my free day, just for me and me only.” I was still in distress from leaving my house; I was hungry, yes! But my bed needed me. Or I needed my bed whichever way.
Patience shrugged, her full attention on her phone while she was typing to God knows who. Joy had excused herself and went home after a call came in. Eno was there, which was a big surprise, but David wasn't. Which was another bigger surprise.
“You will get over it; besides, you can sacrifice one Saturday for us. Even Eno is here; that tells you a lot.” Patience yapped, but something was amiss about her mood; she wasn't her carefree self today. Maybe she and David had a fight, because that would explain why he wasn't with her.
The moment I saw our meal, my sour mood was lifted. We had ordered a big pizza, and I wasn't waiting for anyone as I began eating, and the strange thing about this place was they only serve alcohol, like really strong alcohol. And I wasn't planning on getting drunk before we left.
But Eno had other plans; he was halfway there, taking his fifth shot; Turns out he was an expressive talker when he got drunk.
“Did you guys know Joy is a cheat?” He pointed out of nowhere. And I choked. Joy seemed unaffected by it at first, because like her, I thought he was drunk. But then she asked. “What are you talking about? Joy and cheating are two separate things.”
He chuckled.
That was the first time I had seen him laugh without looking forced to do it. “It's obvious that you're the only blind one in this fake group of ours,” he paused and pointed at me. “Esther there knows more of your boyfriend than you do.” He spoke like someone who already knew what was going on.
I, for one, didn't like where this was heading. I just wanted to stay home; I didn't need this drama.
“Patience, your boyfriend has been cheating on you with my girlfriend for the past 3 months, and you didn't know, you're there playing the perfect slaying girlfriend that you couldn't notice, well if you still don't believe me I have my proofs to back it out.” True to his words, drunk Eno brought out a screenshot of text between Joy and David. And let's just say food and having fun were the least things on everyone's mind. It was horrible; I was deathly afraid of how filthy these two were, flirting and talking about marriage like it's no one's business.
I did have my suspicions; I knew David was a good manipulator; all he had to do was sweet-talk Patience, spoil her with gifts, and give her extra attention so he could do things behind her back. And Patience was too carefree to look deep into things. While Joy was good at gaslighting. I had seen countless times where she was at fault. Instead of accepting her fault and apologizing. Because of Eno's calm personality, she took advantage of it by blaming him, thinking she was fooling him.
Patience turned to me, and she had a glimpse of sadness, and maybe betrayal, in her eyes.
“Why didn't you tell me when you suspected they were doing something behind my back?” Patience asked; to say I was shocked was an understatement. I just had suspicion, but I never caught them in the act; I couldn't out something I wasn't sure of myself. I didn't want to look like a fool.
“Patience, I only had my suspicions; there was no evidence or grounds to it. I couldn't just come out and tell you something I wasn't sure of myself.” I defended myself. I was never one for their drama, and I was treated like the third wheel in almost everything, so what grounds did I have to say anything back then?
After what I said, Patience got up and left. Eno was still drunk, but he was very calm. I knew he was going through his heartbreak phase. So after eating, I dropped Eno at his house. Got home, took a cold shower, and slept on the matter.
Well things had escalated more than we thought. We found out on our group chat that Joy was indeed a cheat and not just with David; there was still another guy in the picture. Eno broke up with her afterwards and left the group chat. Patience also broke up with David, but he came back begging. Turns out he was only after her because of daddy's connection. Joy exposed everything she didn't want to go down alone, I guess.
And Patience blocked me; she said she didn't want any fake friends. And you know what? I welcome the change. It was okay because I wasn't going to beg for any approval. Breaking the relationship was for the best; I wasn't ready for any toxic energy because they made me feel like being single was some kind of joke, like I couldn't secure a rich boyfriend.
Eno turned out to be the best among all of them. He's currently furthering his studies to become a medical doctor. We hang out once in a while, and it's been a year since the whole mess between our group. And it couldn't be any better than this. I was honestly happy that Patience at least found out the truth. And now my Saturdays are not interrupted.
A win is a win🤣 if you get me.
Posted Using INLEO
What a great story, thanks for sharing!
😂😂😂😂
The ending of this story got me cackling.
Who knows, if you had told Patience earlier, she might have felt like you were jealous of her or wanted to spoil her relationship.
Now, you've got your Saturdays to yourself.😌