Evening all.
I wasn’t sure where to post so apologise if this is in the wrong place but I was hoping for some advice.
I’ve been in a small chat group for about 18 months, which was started as we all shared similar views on something that was topical at the time. There were 6 women and one man. Over time we talked about all sorts and became (what I considered) to be a good support to each other. Friends if you like.
Then things started getting a bit strange and the male in the group got shitty about something and left but there were things that didn’t add up. Little things at first but I couldn’t let it drop so did some digging.
Turns out that the man in the group was actually a female and everything that was said was a pack of lies. The wife, the job, family, the pets we’d discussed. All of it.
It would’ve made no difference if they were male or female, I’m sure we’d have all got along the same but I’m struggling with the dishonesty of the whole situation.
I’ve tried to move on from it but I just can’t. I can’t explain how I feel apart from hurt as out of all of the group, I had the best “friendship” with him.
My partner keeps telling me to just forget about it but I can’t. We were such a close group and talked all the time. Frequent little comments day and night and I have no idea how to move on.
It sounds stupid as I tell my children that they shouldn’t trust anyone online but we’d all shared photos, some of us talked on the phone and it all seemed so genuine. I feel betrayed.
Please don’t tell me I’m being stupid and that this wasn’t a real friend because after 18 months, it felt like this person was.