Dear readers of "Of Cold Appearances and Warm Hearts",

I have to thank all of you for your amazing support for this story even years after it was finished. I am proud of it because it is the first novel length story I finished, and for a while that was enough. Now, a lot of things have happened since then. For one, I got married, and along the way I have learned how a healthy relationship works and I realize that I did you all a great disservice.

At the beginning of the story, Jack shows to be abusive towards Elsa. I believed I conveyed a convincing character development and that, at the end of the story, he redeemed himself. Looking back on it, I can't really see that character development and I would never encourage a real person to date/marry anyone who mistreats them the way Jack mistreated Elsa.

It took me years to finish this story and I think it will take me a few more to review and edit the parts that I believe need to be fixed. Meanwhile, I haven't decided whether I will take it down and then repost it, or just have this disclaimer before the prologue.

You have all been wonderful readers and supporters that I feel indebted to repair whatever misconceptions this story may create. It is not right to manhandle, insult, belittle, or hit anyone, much less the people who claim to love you. If you believe you may be in an abusive relationship, seek help. If your partner is controlling, demands to know where you are every minute of every day, keeps you isolated from family and friends, belittles your achievments and emphasises your failures, please contact someone who can help you get out of the relationship. It is easy to believe you are in love as a teenager, but it's very hard to really know what love is at that age.

I apologize if this story gives the impression that you can "save" an abuser or that their actions are justified because of a bad chilhood. Nothing justifies abuse. I will do my best to correct the mistakes I made as an overdramatic teenager.

Take care of yourselves.

Sincerely,

ClearEyes

UPDATE: You can find the re-write version of this story here - www fanfiction net / s / 13348924 / 1 / Of-Cold-Appeareances-and-Warm-Hearts-rewrite (erase the spaces between words, of course).