In a world that prizes social connection, the experience of being deliberately excluded can inflict a deep emotional wound. This sting was publicly shared by actress Ashley Tisdale, who recounted in The Cut her experience of being left out of a mothers' group. I faced a similar, shocking moment when I was intentionally excluded from a yoga group's birthday invitation, despite having been a regular participant in all prior group events.

My friend Janet (a pseudonym), who had initially introduced me to the group years before, was equally taken aback. As an act of solidarity, she chose not to attend after noticing my name was missing from the group text invitation.

When I pressed Janet for the reason behind the snub, the explanation was telling: "When they asked about my child's health condition, you wouldn't gossip. They want you to gossip, and you didn't." My refusal to engage in their "game" of gossiping was, she suggested, the root cause of my exclusion. To counteract this, Janet informed the group she would bring me as her "plus one," citing her husband's absence.

Troubled, I sought the advice of a psychotherapist, a trusted friend with six decades of experience. His immediate and blunt assessment was, "This is cruel." He was surprised I hadn't recognized it sooner and confirmed that the lack of an apology and the failure........

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