Chapter Text
Dear Mr. Budwell,
You don’t know me, and I can’t speak for anyone else, but I want you to know just how meaningful your brave actions of March 18 were to me. How much they inspired me.
Because I was watching Money Monster that same day you were. I saw Lee Gates promise that IBIS stock was the safest bet there was, and I put all my savings into it. It was just $500. Nothing like what you lost. But I was still devastated.
I try to imagine the despair I felt and multiply it by a hundred. More. I can’t even get close to understanding what you must have felt when everything fell apart.
But if it weren’t for you, we would all still be in the dark about it. Still believe that a crap algorithm was to blame for that $800 million disappearing into thin air. You revealed that corruption. You brought the truth to light.
That day, something changed for all of us. At work, we were all crowded around the breakroom TV, rooting for you like the Bills had made the Super Bowl. Because you spoke for all of us.
So when they announced, live on TV, that you were dead, I wept. And I wasn’t the only one. Imagine my surprise when days later, it was revealed that you’d been resuscitated. Alive. I cried again, but this time, they were tears of joy.
I hope you’re healing well and that you’re not in pain now. I’ve been praying for your swift recovery.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Walt Camby’s trial is not going well for him. It’s in the papers every day, and maybe this is cruel of me, but I look forward to the day he gets sent away to prison.
I apologize if that’s ironic. You don’t deserve to be locked away like you are. They say his sentence is likely to be twice as long as yours, so at least there’s that.
The SEC is also investigating IBIS. No word yet on whether that will actually mean us investors will get some of our money back. For your sake, especially, I hope that’s the case.
And maybe most importantly, what you did showed me how important it is to take initiative. That you can’t just sit around and expect anything to change in your favor.
I’m still doing my minimum wage shifts at the factory, but I’ve started taking community college classes, too. I’m picking up quantitative analysis. I want to learn more about what happened. Understand it enough so that I can spot lies like IBIS’s from a mile away and actually help people.
I’ve got a knack for it, too. I only know that because of you.
I saw on Facebook that your son was born. Baby Louis is soooooo cute. He looks just like you.
Congratulations on the birth of your child. I hope your girlfriend and the baby are well.
I heard the way Molly talked about you on the broadcast. I know she was angry with you, but you didn’t deserve any of that. She had no right to say those things to you. You did everything for her. She doesn’t realize how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life.
I’m sure this is just one of many letters letting you know how much you’ve impacted the world. You mean so much to so many of us. I probably come across as just another fangirl admirer, but can you blame me?
The stock exchange is way down. People have lost trust in that system. Isn’t that crazy? You did that!
And when I found out where you were serving your sentence, I just had to share my thoughts with you. We’re practically neighbors!
I don’t expect a letter in return. I can’t imagine what your situation must be like, and the attention you must be getting. I hope your fellow inmates are treating you well.
In case you do decide to write back, my address is enclosed.
Sincerely,
Ella-Marie Short