[ADVICE] How to effectively and believably sabotage a relationship?

[elyss]

I'm writing a story in which a character's biggest flaw is their selfish desire to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. They've roped a young woman into being a maid who looks after the house in her spare time. She's naive, filial, and believes the best in others. There's a young man interested in marrying her and she's interested in him as well. The suitor is a sturdy, no-nonsense type who resents the main character for taking advantage of the woman's kindness.

My main character decides to sabotage this budding relationship to maintain his status quo. He tells the woman a lie that poisons her view of her would-be suitor. I'm stuck on what kind of lie he might tell. Any ideas?

[Joonie-Bonsai]

Maybe the MC told her that her suitor that he "buys girls for a living". That sounds weird but if her suitor hangs around other girls a lot, it would be believable. What I mean by "buying girls" is that he is always pays for girls to be with him in the night. That kind of thing. Don't know if that makes sense, I tried to help. Also, what is your story called? It sounds really epic!

[KoreanTacos]

The easiest lie would be to say they're a playboy who sleeps around, but depending on how close the mc is when compared to other guy would be to convince her the new guy is just manipulative and is using her. Thus the manipulative nature of the main character is not only pawning his own insecurities about themselves onto an innocent bystander hes letting go some of his own issues to female character

[Joonie-Bonsai]

Pffft I said around the same thing

[elyss]

Thanks! I can see something like this working.
I haven't posted anything about it yet, it's still in the scripting process, but I'll totally make a post about it when it's released

[elyss]

Oh adding self projection would add max depth! Definitely using this

[cherrystark]

You could draw on body image issues and the need to "be enough". One story I read, the MC's ex kept picking on her weight and tried to get her fit into his ideal type. I do have to question though if the MC is going to go through a growth arc and falls in love with her. If he wants to be with her, though subconsciously, it needs to be something he can come back from.

[elyss]

He definitely struggles with "being enough" and I'll keep that in mind. She's not his love interest, but I do have to make it something he can come back from. A lie that carries weight, but doesn't make a person absolutely irredeemable for telling. She has to be able to forgive him by the end of the story.

[Penni]

Maybe...

• Addiction (in its various forms)
• They are neglectful/too self-centered
• Abusive (though this one does get over played and can get gross quick)
• A secret murderer?

[JeanGuillet]

well I keep trying. last time our leading lady laughed at the intrepid evil overlord in his tightey-whiteys. and for his part he's just nailgunned her boyfriend to a hot stove. she doesn't know about that bit yet. toujours l'amour!