i don’t know why people felt the need to be so cruel. i did nothing to deserve that treatment, but somehow, i became their target. every day, it was something new. hurtful words, mocking laughter, or that quiet exclusion that stung just as much as the insults. it’s like they thrived on breaking me down, taking some twisted satisfaction in seeing me struggle. i didn’t ask for this, for the endless feelings of loneliness and shame. sometimes, i still hear their voices in my head, even when i try to convince myself that their words meant nothing. i wonder if they ever thought about the damage they were doing, or if i was just some passing entertainment for their boredom. the worst part is how it makes you question yourself—wondering if there’s something wrong with you, even when deep down, you know there’s not. it makes trusting people so much harder. you build walls to protect yourself, but sometimes, those walls feel like a prison, trapping you in the pain you thought you’d escaped. i just wish they could’ve seen the impact. how their bullying followed me like a shadow, long after the words stopped.