The same thing that's happened on the forum here has happened to me irl a few times.
I rather enjoy being able to deconstruct the dynamic from a distance without rl consequences, tbh.
The best I can figure is that it usually starts with an invitation to join somebody's clique (in this case it was a skype group.)
I'm really not interested, but I make up an excuse that has smthg to do with money to avoid being rude (eg: PC problems that I can't afford to fix.)
After the second time this happened irl back about the late 90s, I got smart and stopped accepting the charity when people offered to pay to 'fix' the problem at the heart of my excuse. Instead, I kept my no at a firm no.
The last 2 times this happened, somebody did seem desperate and pushy enough to have me in their group that I figured the money was a gift and not a toll. So I accepted, against my better judgement. People who think they have to pay to be my friend (especially after I go to great lengths to push them away with stories of my stretch marks and ugly ass) really weird me out tbh.
So I go into the clique suspicious af and fully expecting a Pig Party.
And that's what eventually ends up happening.
The worst is when there's a sexual element. Some idiot always ends up making up disgusting rumours about the things they claim to believe I'm fucking.
I usually return the hate, tho. Can't let those assholes have the last word, ya know...
"As dispassionately as possible, why do you think they dislike/hate you? How were you made aware? Do you think their feelings towards you are justified? Do you feel the same towards them?"
The times this happened irl, I didn't even know wth I did. I just called it bad luck and a crazy stalker freak.
Now I see, after years of deconstructing bullshit and stereotypes and troll rhetoric that there is a pattern.
People are freaked out by sexlessness and introversion, unless there is smthg hideous about the woman who says she doesn't want the sexual/social contact.
And even then, people try to fix her up with their gross old uncle Bob or w/e.
They get angry and act like she betrayed them if she refuses.
That's where the hate usually starts. Sexual and social rejection.
And feminism. People love to hate on feminists.
The progression from there is to a whisper campaign with a bunch of barely audible snide comments, and then on to poop flinging.
By the time people work up the nerve to say rude shit to my face, there's usually some sort of 'revenge' scheme in place that I have to guess at and dance around.
It hasn't happened at work so far, thank Hermes and Hestia. My neighbours are getting a little weird, tho.
One of these days I might just get a bf. Just for a social experiment, to see if people treat me better this time, or if the last time was my imagination. lol
I get so tired of moving every 3 years.
2 years is the magic number, btw. For some reason, mean girl and old lady cliques alike don't think women should be single for more than 2 years.
Edit: I do know how to invent a bf if push comes to shove. I prefer not to do that, tho. There's smthg so desperate about bitches who pretend to have boyfriends lol