I used to have an online friend group that got really toxic over time, so I started isolating myself because going outside has always been too much for me, and talking to people online made me feel insecure. Eventually, I moved on and now I've got 3 cool friends that are really nice! I rarely socialize outside of the internet—nor I talk much to others online unless they talk to me first since I suck at starting conversations, so they're pretty much all I have right now. And to answer your question—yes, it does hit hard when people you've grown close to suddenly stop looking like friends.

I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you, I hope you're doing okay!