Did you try pressing it between some wax paper with heavy books on top for a few days? I had a similar mess with a vintage paperback and the damp rag only made it worse. You might've pushed the glue deeper into the fibers instead of lifting it off. Honestly, for a 1920s novel I'd have dried it flat and accepted the crinkle, but if the pages are truly stuck together, you're probably looking at a new copy.

Hard disagree @luna_sanchez. Backing off power just lets things get sloppy. Ever seen a slow driver in the fast lane? That's what happens when you ease up. More control, not less. Think about searing a steak. Crank the heat high, get that crust fast. Low and slow gives you a gray, sad piece of meat. Power through, get it done right the first time.

I read somewhere once that food failures in families are usually about more than just the food. Its about the person who messed up feeling like they let everyone down. That burnt gravy story sounds rough, my mom did something similar with a Christmas ham one year and the house smelled like a campfire for days. She sat there staring at her plate like she'd committed a crime. My dad just got up and made sandwiches for everyone, which somehow made it worse because it meant he was 'fixing' her mistake. We never talked about it again but nobody lets her live down the 'blackened ham' comment from my uncle. Food mishaps just sit with you because you remember the silence and the unspoken tension more than the burnt taste.

cold compresses are a lifesaver but my skin still acts up half the time.

Look, sometimes a patch is the right call. Not every job needs the gold-plated fix, especially when downtime costs a fortune. The client knew the risks and made a business choice to get back online fast. Your way cost them the job and probably a ton of money for those two extra days. The other crew gave them what they asked for, and yeah it failed, but that's on the client for picking the cheap option. You can't save people from their own bad decisions.