The Friend Group

When my husband Jake received a promotion at his company, we thought it was a fantastic opportunity, except it required us to relocate to Thailand.

I was utterly lost as a newly minted expat in a foreign country. Even a simple task like buying groceries had become an ordeal. That is until I met Vivian, Jackie, and Kimmy.

Those three women took me under their wings and helped me successfully navigate my new life. They’d become my besties.

I soon learned our friend group was the envy of the expat community and we were treated like royalty. I experienced privilege beyond my wildest dreams. And it would only get better as I’d discovered I was pregnant.

For once, I felt everything in my life was going the right way until I learned I’d taken a seat on a revolving chair. There were others before me, but they left the group, never to be heard from again. Vivian smiled and told me not to worry.

Of course, I’d heard the chatter outside the group: Break a rule, and you’ll be reminded with a courteous smile. Break two, and you’ll disappear.

“This is Emily; she’s with us,” Vivian said.

Those six magical words changed everything. It was as if I’d been suddenly elevated to godlike status. People tripped over themselves to meet me while bombarding me with questions. The attention was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. To say I felt special was an understatement. I felt like royalty. And the invites? Everyone had something to invite me to, whether it was another gala or the grand opening of a boutique, or even to have dinner at their restaurant. And it wasn’t just other expats I was being introduced to; most of the attendees were hi-so Thais. Even the Thai elite showed up. They were the powerful family dynasties that went way back.

All I could do to keep up was nod and say “Thank you.” During one of those exchanges, I glanced at Vivian and caught her staring at me. Instead of a smile on her face, there was a look that sent a shiver through my body. A second later, she smiled, hooked her arm around mine, and led me to the next power couple on her list of people to know.

Whatever apprehensions I might have harbored about Vivian had disappeared by the time the fashion show started. She had done nothing but make sure everyone there knew I was a bona fide member of their friend group.

And the photographs—I must have had more than a hundred snapped of me. Photographers at the event wanted pictures of me with everyone I spoke to. I even posed with the fashion models and designers after the runway show. I was convinced they had mistaken me for someone else.

Vivian told me to keep smiling. “Think of this as your inauguration.”

“But I’m no one.”

“You’re with me. You’re someone.”

As soon as I had a chance, I broke away and ran to the restroom. I thought I was going to explode. On the way out, I bumped into a woman I’d been introduced to earlier. Her name was Meredith Brown. She was from Australia and a mother of two. Her husband was a high-level executive in the petroleum industry.

“Are you having fun tonight?” she asked.

“It’s been incredible. Everyone here is so nice and inviting.”

“Well, you’re with Vivian now. Expect more of that. Many others have tried to grab that spot you have, but all have failed.”

“Spot?”

“The fourth spot in the friend group. It’s been vacant for a while.”

“Wait, are you saying there’s a cap on how many friends are in the group?”

“You didn’t hear it from me, but from what I know, Vivian likes to keep the group small. I mean, I totally get it. The attention and privilege afforded to the group, especially in the Thai community, doesn’t come easy. You should be proud to have been chosen.”

“Um, yeah. Vivian, Jackie, and Kimmy have been nothing but nice and helpful in getting me acclimated to the Bangkok scene.”

“I wish I had that when I first arrived. It can be difficult. I’d say it’s worth putting up with all those rules.”

“What rules?” I did a double-take at Meredith.

She smiled. “I know you’re not supposed to discuss them outside of your group. Don’t worry. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Meredith made a zipper movement across her lips.

“No, wait. What do you mean by ‘rules’?”

Meredith crinkled her brow. "The rules Vivian expects the group to follow."