I genuinely don't even know what to say after reading this. I had absolutely no idea any of this was happening behind the scenes, and honestly, I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes because I never could have imagined what she was dealing with while all of us were just wondering what happened to her books.
What broke my heart the most was reading about everything you went through and realizing how young you were when it happened. You were carrying all of that completely silently, and somehow she still chose to stand beside you, protect you, and put herself at risk without ever telling the rest of us what she had done. She didn't do it for praise, sympathy, or recognition. She just did it because you needed someone.
And the fact that you found out about all the things she was doing for you later makes it even more emotional. The money, the support, the complaint, protecting your identity, standing up to someone who was hurting you... she could have walked away, but she didn't. She became the person you had wished existed.
I think the part that will stay with me the most is the Spider-Man comparison. Because sometimes being a hero really isn't about doing something huge where everyone sees you. Sometimes it's simply being the person who says, "You're not alone," and actually means it. And from everything you've written, that's exactly what she was for you.
I'm honestly so glad you told this story. Not because anyone should have had to go through any of it, but because I think sometimes we see authors only as the people who write the books we love. We don't always know the things they're carrying outside of those pages.
And now I understand her in a completely different way. I have so much respect for her, and honestly, so much respect for you too—for surviving everything you went through and finally having the courage to tell your story.
You said she's your Spider-Man. I think after reading this, I'll never look at her the same way again either. ❤️
