But the person who fights off one monster is not automatically a hero. Sometimes, they are simply a monster with better timing. Real protection doesn’t demand repayment. Real safety doesn’t feel like a cage.

The original stalker was a monster; Eli was a jailer.

The admirer who fought off my stalker wasn't a hero. He was a predator who didn't want to share his prey. Sometimes, the person who pulls you out of the fire is only doing it because they want to be the one to watch you burn.

It happened three weeks and two days after the rescue. I was in the bathroom, pretending to shower, actually crying, because I had realized something horrific: I was afraid of Liam. Not the same kind of fear I had for Dave—Dave was a gnat. This was a tiger.

themselves into your life. They aren't just watching you; they are "curating" your environment. 2. The "Knight in Bloody Armor" Moment