Being the inspiration for a fictional character is innocent enough. That is, until the people around you find out about it.

So, what would you do if your close friend was an author and created characters based on you and another mutual friend who ended up together in the book? Would you give your husband and the mutual friend a heads-up? Or would you assume it’s not a big deal because it’s fiction?

In the following story, one woman fails to say something and upsets the others. Here’s how it all played out.

AITA for not warning people that a character in a friend’s book was based on me?

My best friend, “Cass,” is an author who has a few books out.

There are bits and pieces of me and everyone else she loves in everything she does, but she wrote a character heavily based on me for her most recent book. Personality, appearance, some life events, etc.

There is a love interest who is also based heavily on a friend of ours, Riley, in the same way. The characters end up together. We all met in college, fwiw. Riley and I have also never dated, hooked up, or anything like that.

By this time, Riley had read the book.

I knew this was happening (we have a tradition where I read her 3rd draft), but Riley is not a huge reader, so I never mentioned it to them. Same with my husband. The book came out, and I didn’t even think about it because while the character is based on me, it is not me.

Well, some time later, we were at another friend’s house when Riley was there.

Cass asked Riley if they’d read the book. Riley said they were surprised to find out we ended up together and felt it was odd.

Even her husband was confused.

My husband asked what Riley meant. Cass said the characters were based on us. My husband was surprised. They both asked why we didn’t tell them ahead of time.

Both of them feel blindsided and uncomfortable about it.

I said that in my defense, I don’t go spilling details about Cass’ books in general. And again, the characters are not actually us! And most readers, unless they are the creepy “fandom” stalker-y types, would have no way of knowing.

AITA?

Yikes! In that case, it may have been better to speak up.

Let’s see what the folks over at Reddit think.

Here’s a writer who finds it weird.

Yet another reader who finds the whole thing weird.

According to this comment, her excuse was weak.

For this person, her husband deserved a heads-up.

They both deserved to know, because that was a pretty big shocker.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.