Has this ever happened to you? What would you have done?
I (F) cut off contact with an ex-friend when I realised the "friendship" was only alive because of me. E.g. I checked in on her and initiated conversations which went unresponded for days or weeks but she only contacted me when she she wanted something and expected immediate replies and assistance with empty promises to return the favour.
Went no contact with her and then after many years she saw me from behind on the street and approached me. The whole encounter was odd - she had left her family 20 metres away and tapped me on the shoulder and greeted me, asked about my life and gave me her life updates unprompted. However whilst I smiled at her, she remained expressionless from start to finish. Not wanting to continue the conversation I gave one word responses but she continued to fill the silence and tell me about her life until she had nothing to say. Her family who had never met me also stared from the distance.
I feel she was trying to show off her achievements and trying to re-instate the previous power dynamic and expected I would slot right back into it.
TL;DR: Ex-friend who I went no contact with saw me on the street and ditched her family to come speak to me but remained expressionless throughout the encounter whilst I smiled at her.