So, last year I was randomly added to a WhatsApp group from an unknown number. I didn’t think much of it at first, as being added to random groups isn’t unusual. It was called “Smith Family Chat” with about 14 people. I assumed it was spam and was about to leave. But then I noticed it was just… normal people. Grandma profile pic, uncle with sunglasses, someone named “maria – kitchen.”. It was a family group, and I was now technically part of someone’s bloodline. It wasn’t crazy dramatic, which is what stuck with me. It was **normal**. Hospital visits, birthdays, someone’s kid failing math, someone complaining about rent, granny sending those good morning pictures that look like they were made in 2004. Nothing viral-worthy. Just people existing. And for some reason, I kept checking it, not constantly, but when I was bored. At first, I was going to leave instantly, but I thought, “I want to see how long it takes for them to notice.” It took **MONTHS**.
…………………………………………..
👇 [ CONTINUE READING ] 👇
…………………………………………..
I watched full family drama unfold like a weird Netflix show I didn’t ask for. A cousin failing classes, an aunt beefing with an uncle about a dog, someone hospitalized (everyone panicked, then she was fine), birthdays, good mornings, those motivational images with glitter text. I knew so much about strangers I shouldn’t. The creepiest part was that they kept tagging me like I **WAS** someone. They’d ask, “You bringing chairs?” and I’d stare at my phone, thinking, “I do not know any of you; I cannot bring chairs.” Once, they were arguing about what color to paint a room, and someone wrote, “Ask him, he’s usually right about this stuff.” About **ME**, a random dude! I was suddenly promoted to family consultant in a household I don’t live in.
I never said a word the entire time. Total ghost. I just watched, which sounds creepy, but it felt like falling into a parallel universe by accident and refusing to leave because it’s interesting. And the funniest, weirdest part is nobody questioned it. At all. Months went by, and nobody asked, “Why is he never replying?” or “Is he even reading this?” Nothing. If they thought I was part of the family, you’d expect at least one person to poke me, “Bro, you alive?” But nope.
That messed with me. Either they barely talk to that person in real life, or they decided, “He’s quiet, whatever,” which is sadder. I kept thinking about the real guy whose spot I stole. Does he know he’s supposed to be there? Does he know they’re planning stuff without him? Does he feel left out? I felt guilty, like I kidnapped a spot in someone’s family without meaning to. But I kept going because I enjoyed listening to strangers talking about their daily life.
Seven-ish months passed (I know because the media auto-download nearly killed my storage). Then, one day, someone finally asked, “Wait, who is this number?” Then, six messages of “Who???” “Who added?”. I panicked, apologized, said wrong number, and immediately got removed. That’s it. Over. And weirdly, I still think about them sometimes. I’ll remember, “Oh yeah, Maria finally got that job,” and then realize I will **NEVER** know what happened to any of them ever again. They felt more real than half the internet because nothing insane happened. Just life. Maybe because sometimes you meet people, don’t really “meet” them, and then they disappear forever, and that’s normal, but it feels strange anyway.
