It doesn’t happen all at once.

It comes in pieces.

A stray comment that doesn’t sit right.

A contradiction you can’t explain away.

A moment where his anger turns on you.

It comes slowly—

…until suddenly, it’s undeniable.

The man you thought you knew

was never real.

The Final Betrayal: When Joel No Longer Needs You

Maybe you think it won’t happen to you.

Maybe you believe your bond with him is different.

That he trusts you. That he values you.

But ask yourself:

Where are the others who once stood where you are now?

Because there were others.

People who fought for him.

People who defended him.

People who swore, just like you, that he would never turn on them.

And yet—

He did.

Where are they now?

Gone.

Because when Joel no longer needs you, you will go from trusted ally to expendable liability.

From friend to traitor.

And when that moment comes, the person you thought he was will vanish—

…replaced by the man who was always there.

The Joel that never cared about you at all.

How It Will Happen to You

You won’t see it coming.

It will feel sudden. Abrupt. Unfair.

But it won’t be.

Because Joel has already done it a hundred times before.

It always follows the same pattern:

1️⃣ The Distance Grows

At first, it will be small.

Conversations feel different. His responses get shorter.

He isn’t as interested in what you have to say.

You’ll tell yourself it’s nothing.

2️⃣ He Starts to Reframe You

You’ll notice it in the way he talks about you to others.

Little comments that downplay your importance.

Jokes that make you feel smaller.

Statements that cast doubt on your intelligence, your loyalty, your intentions.

3️⃣ He Finds a Replacement

Joel cannot exist without people propping him up.

As he begins to devalue you, he will find someone new to take your place.

Someone who doesn’t question him.

Someone who still believes the illusion.

And suddenly, your presence will be inconvenient.

4️⃣ He Writes You Out of His Story

At first, he will simply ignore you.

But if you push back?

If you ask what changed?

If you refuse to just fade away?

That is when he will turn on you.

He will smear you.

He will reframe you.

He will say you were never truly loyal.

That you were always against him.

That you were the real villain all along.

And when you try to explain yourself?

No one will listen.

Because they are where you once stood.

And just like you once did, they will believe him.

The Choice You Can Still Make

Right now, you are at a crossroads.

You can continue to believe in him.

You can ignore that growing feeling in your gut.

You can wait until he turns on you.

Or you can walk away before he does.

Before you become the next name on his list of discarded people.

Before you are rewritten, just like the ones before you.

Before you are forced to see the truth—

That Joel Johnson was never your friend.