FAQ
the real tea
The Questions Yall Keep Asking Me…
Since y’all clearly want the behind-the-scenes commentary, here’s the director’s cut.
Why now?
Because I wasn’t ready before. Not emotionally, not mentally, not spiritually. I was still too close to the fire. Back then it would’ve been raw pain with no clarity. Now I can look at it without shaking. Now I can name what happened without falling apart. Healing gave me language. Time gave me perspective. And distance gave me the freedom to speak without bleeding.
Do you feel bad about this?
No. Because I’m telling my story. What other people did just happens to be in it. If someone feels “outed,” that means they recognize themselves in the mess they created. That’s not my guilt to carry. That’s self-awareness tapping them on the shoulder.
Is all of it true?
Listen, It’s not a documentary. This book is autofiction. Which basically means it’s rooted in real life but written like a novel. The truth is there, the bones are there, the heartbeat is mine… but the storytelling is crafted. I’m not confirming scenes, denying scenes, explaining timelines, or drawing arrows to who’s who. You’re not getting a decoder ring. You’re getting a book.
You want to know what’s real?
Read it and decide for yourself. That’s the fun part. That’s literally how reading works.
What about the real people you wrote about?
I’m not responsible for anyone’s reputation in a story they created with their own behavior. And let’s be honest… if someone is worried about how they “come across,” maybe they should’ve come across better in real life. I’m not out to ruin anybody’s life, I’m telling the truth about how theirs collided with mine. At the end of the day, if you didn’t want people to know what you did… you shouldn’t have done it. Adults made choices. Choices have… consequences.
Did writing this help you heal?
It helped me stop holding secrets that weren’t mine to carry. So yes. Very much.
But lets not discredit my therapist because she helped me realize that I protected my abuser more than I ever protected myself. And I needed to stop.
Why write a book instead of just venting to friends?
Because my friends don’t pay royalties. Amazon does.
LMFAO!
Did you exaggerate anything?
If anything, I held back. Y’all don’t have the bandwidth for the director’s cut.
And that really would have been BEYOND embarassing, for more than just me.
Will there be a sequel?
Who knows. My characters haven’t told me yet.
