Ending suggestions for a romance story

[RinThao]

So I was working on a romance story that invokes a lot of emotions. When I reached the ending, my brain shut down. I didn't know how to end the story, in a satisfying way. So a little background to the story I'm currently working on...

3 major characters (I haven't thought of their names yet): MC, childhood friend, and the bully

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick), and he finds a new job; however, MC discovers that he is working under bully's management, and he proceeds to get his ass bullied at work by bully. The worst part is he starts a relationship with his neighbor, and said neighbor is having an affair with bully. MC makes a life-changing decision, and he travels to India. And this is where I stopped and wondered how I wanted to end this story.

I know at the end of his travel, MC becomes more matured, well-mannered, and straight up gigachad status. Because originally, I wanted to tell a story that questions how one path that is deemed "good" is punishable, whereas the other seen "bad" is rewardable, and understanding why both path leads to the same objective.

Originally, I was going to have bully put to jail for not evading child support and cheating whereas the MC enjoys his newly found life. But I thought that was a bit of a copeout. I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking way too much into this. What are suggestions of endings I should go for?

Ultimately, I was aiming for the MC to reach a path that is devoid of attachment, and fulfilment of his good deeds both past and current actions. Yet also retaining the fact that he was pained and bullied his entire life by a particular individual who essentially "stole" everything from him while not facing consequences until it all catches up to them.

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Main love interest dies of an unexpected terminal illness, MC kills bully in a murder suicide.

 

[RinThao]

A particular scene that I have, which I thought was going to be invoking, and probably it's most important symbolism, is when the bully happens to stumble across the MC praying to God, so he proceeds to beat the living shit out of the MC and mocks his beliefs with the following phrase, "God is not real, and even if he is, he wouldn't love you. You will never be loved."

 

[Vnator]

A particular scene that I have, which I thought was going to be invoking, and probably it's most important symbolism, is when the bully happens to stumble across the MC praying to God, so he proceeds to beat the living shit out of the MC and mocks his beliefs with the following phrase, "God is not real, and even if he is, he wouldn't love you. You will never be loved."

Imma be honest, that's too much. Like, straight up annihilation of any and all suspension of disbelief that would make anyone stop taking the story seriously. Like no offense, but this is one of the stupidest and cliched bad scenes I've ever read. All that's missing is the bully to wave his long black hair and adjust his spiked collar from hot topic.

And if they're adults at that point, you can't beat someone up without having the cops called on you and being arrested for assault.

But yeah, enough of me being a jerk (sorry again).

Anyway, going to what you said earlier about exploring how some traditionally good paths get punished while bad ones rewarded, I think another good way to look at it or to show is that it isn't the path itself automatically= reward. Like how going to college doesn't explicitly mean you'll get a job. But that just means you have to pay attention to the steps you take on your path rather than going at it blindly and expecting reward. That could be a good lesson/theme to follow. Like, he MC tries to be a kind caring boyfriend but he gets cheated on because he keeps going after unfaithful women. Or dude tries to buckle down and be a good employee because that is supposedly how you gain respect and climb the corporate ladder, but it doesn't work because his job sucks and he doesn't realize he should find somewhere else to work.

 

[nowme_cres]

Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him.

Woman moment[=

and he travels to India.

Why India?

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

Just have it end with them reuniting at the end, mc shows his success to the losers

 

[MrPopocap]

So I was working on a romance story that invokes a lot of emotions. When I reached the ending, my brain shut down. I didn't know how to end the story, in a satisfying way. So a little background to the story I'm currently working on...

3 major characters (I haven't thought of their names yet): MC, childhood friend, and the bully

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick), and he finds a new job; however, MC discovers that he is working under bully's management, and he proceeds to get his ass bullied at work by bully. The worst part is he starts a relationship with his neighbor, and said neighbor is having an affair with bully. MC makes a life-changing decision, and he travels to India. And this is where I stopped and wondered how I wanted to end this story.

I know at the end of his travel, MC becomes more matured, well-mannered, and straight up gigachad status. Because originally, I wanted to tell a story that questions how one path that is deemed "good" is punishable, whereas the other seen "bad" is rewardable, and understanding why both path leads to the same objective.

Originally, I was going to have bully put to jail for not evading child support and cheating whereas the MC enjoys his newly found life. But I thought that was a bit of a copeout. I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking way too much into this. What are suggestions of endings I should go for?

Ultimately, I was aiming for the MC to reach a path that is devoid of attachment, and fulfilment of his good deeds both past and current actions. Yet also retaining the fact that he was pained and bullied his entire life by a particular individual who essentially "stole" everything from him while not facing consequences until it all catches up to them.

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

I thought I put my MC through torture, but this .... damn! Poor man!

 

[HelloHound]

is the childhood friend just there to add angst to the MC? what's her deal? kinda just feels like she's a tool in the narrative if she's just there to be taken away by the bully

 

[BigBadBoi]

A particular scene that I have, which I thought was going to be invoking, and probably it's most important symbolism, is when the bully happens to stumble across the MC praying to God, so he proceeds to beat the living shit out of the MC and mocks his beliefs with the following phrase, "God is not real, and even if he is, he wouldn't love you. You will never be loved."

That is so edgy I got papercuts from scrolling through my phone. Fedora tipping redditor level of edgy.

 

[ArrogantYoungMaster]

Bruh this isn't a romance novel it's literally tragedy

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

So I was working on a romance story that invokes a lot of emotions. When I reached the ending, my brain shut down. I didn't know how to end the story, in a satisfying way. So a little background to the story I'm currently working on...

3 major characters (I haven't thought of their names yet): MC, childhood friend, and the bully

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick), and he finds a new job; however, MC discovers that he is working under bully's management, and he proceeds to get his ass bullied at work by bully. The worst part is he starts a relationship with his neighbor, and said neighbor is having an affair with bully. MC makes a life-changing decision, and he travels to India. And this is where I stopped and wondered how I wanted to end this story.

I know at the end of his travel, MC becomes more matured, well-mannered, and straight up gigachad status. Because originally, I wanted to tell a story that questions how one path that is deemed "good" is punishable, whereas the other seen "bad" is rewardable, and understanding why both path leads to the same objective.

Originally, I was going to have bully put to jail for not evading child support and cheating whereas the MC enjoys his newly found life. But I thought that was a bit of a copeout. I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking way too much into this. What are suggestions of endings I should go for?

Ultimately, I was aiming for the MC to reach a path that is devoid of attachment, and fulfilment of his good deeds both past and current actions. Yet also retaining the fact that he was pained and bullied his entire life by a particular individual who essentially "stole" everything from him while not facing consequences until it all catches up to them.

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

Ahhh... a fellow torturer of one's MC. Nice to see another tragedy author join. I mean, personally, I think I win, tragedy-wise. But it is nice to have another MC torturer join us.

 

[Tempokai]

If it wasn't a tragedy, MC probably understood after becoming a gigachad that no one will make MC happy than MC itself, and just leave to another country or something. Using cliche of "best revenge is to become happier than the one who angered you" or whatever sounds good in this situation. Probably would be better if there's a new romantic interest that can interest the MC to do this.

 

[DeviousColony69]

So I was working on a romance story that invokes a lot of emotions. When I reached the ending, my brain shut down. I didn't know how to end the story, in a satisfying way. So a little background to the story I'm currently working on...

3 major characters (I haven't thought of their names yet): MC, childhood friend, and the bully

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick), and he finds a new job; however, MC discovers that he is working under bully's management, and he proceeds to get his ass bullied at work by bully. The worst part is he starts a relationship with his neighbor, and said neighbor is having an affair with bully. MC makes a life-changing decision, and he travels to India. And this is where I stopped and wondered how I wanted to end this story.

I know at the end of his travel, MC becomes more matured, well-mannered, and straight up gigachad status. Because originally, I wanted to tell a story that questions how one path that is deemed "good" is punishable, whereas the other seen "bad" is rewardable, and understanding why both path leads to the same objective.

Originally, I was going to have bully put to jail for not evading child support and cheating whereas the MC enjoys his newly found life. But I thought that was a bit of a copeout. I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking way too much into this. What are suggestions of endings I should go for?

Ultimately, I was aiming for the MC to reach a path that is devoid of attachment, and fulfilment of his good deeds both past and current actions. Yet also retaining the fact that he was pained and bullied his entire life by a particular individual who essentially "stole" everything from him while not facing consequences until it all catches up to them.

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

I have to be honest with you fellow writer, this is literally one of those plots that you see in the doujin world, especially NTR doujins. I've read dozens (and even write) romance novels, mangas and such but I don't see any romance vibes judging from what you've written here. But as to answer your main question. I have 2 endings in mind:

1. The company the bully was managing has found out that there's a scandal happening
2. The bully has been doing an affair with another woman and that the MC has found out about it (your decision on how you deal with this)

 

[greyblob]

you've been cucking the mc for 3/4th of the story. might as well finish the job and put a bullet in his head.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

If romance is what you're going for, you'll need to start over and try again.

 

[Succubiome]

So, to me it sounds like the core of this book is about the relationship between the MC and the Bully, and I don't think you can resolve that in a satisfying way with the themes you want as is, because when it comes down to it, it's essentially a vicarious revenge story. Not that there's anything wrong with writing vicarious revenge stories? But that feels like what it's about, if the comeuppance of the bully is a major point, which is why I think it's not jelling with the other theme of letting go of attachment and moving on.

If the MC is letting go of attachment and the point is that they've moved on both figuratively and literally, the fate of the bully should be left unresolved IMO.

Like, maybe the last thing is the MC thinking about checking what the bully is up on some social media site, and then deciding it's not important anymore.

 

[ArchlordZero]

 

[Deleted member 58005]

The true sign of a gigachad is accepting that the past has hurt you, but not let yourself continue to be hurt

Once the MC has found a way to live successfully without letting himself get tormented by his enemies, only then will he achieve peak gigachad.

 

[Gibbs505]

The MC's work completed, the force that is part of him spins him off to an entirely different time and space where he has to start all over again!!

 

[Arkus86]

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick)

Actually, what you describe has nothing to do with NTR, since the the CF is not in a relationship with anyone other than maybe the bully. Unless you meant the the MC is dating his CF when she falls in love with and is impregnated by the bully, but even then it would be "just" cheating, since it implies she slept with bully willingly instead of being forced/pressured.

 

[CheertheSecond]

So I was working on a romance story that invokes a lot of emotions. When I reached the ending, my brain shut down. I didn't know how to end the story, in a satisfying way. So a little background to the story I'm currently working on...

3 major characters (I haven't thought of their names yet): MC, childhood friend, and the bully

It starts out as your generic story of MC is in love with his childhood friend, but he gets bullied by bully. Childhood friend falls in love with bully because she believes she can "change" him. MC moves on with his life after childhood friend is impregnated with bully's child (yes, I know this is straight up an NTR, bare with me real quick), and he finds a new job; however, MC discovers that he is working under bully's management, and he proceeds to get his ass bullied at work by bully. The worst part is he starts a relationship with his neighbor, and said neighbor is having an affair with bully. MC makes a life-changing decision, and he travels to India. And this is where I stopped and wondered how I wanted to end this story.

I know at the end of his travel, MC becomes more matured, well-mannered, and straight up gigachad status. Because originally, I wanted to tell a story that questions how one path that is deemed "good" is punishable, whereas the other seen "bad" is rewardable, and understanding why both path leads to the same objective.

Originally, I was going to have bully put to jail for not evading child support and cheating whereas the MC enjoys his newly found life. But I thought that was a bit of a copeout. I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking way too much into this. What are suggestions of endings I should go for?

Ultimately, I was aiming for the MC to reach a path that is devoid of attachment, and fulfilment of his good deeds both past and current actions. Yet also retaining the fact that he was pained and bullied his entire life by a particular individual who essentially "stole" everything from him while not facing consequences until it all catches up to them.

Again, what are suggestions for an ending?

If you want the MC to detach from his deeds, just go for it. Forget about the bully and the girls. Have him treat those characters and his association with them as if those were just an afterthought. The past snd the pain he felt will not be erased and will play out as a nightmare in a random day or as unpleasant memories in a sudden moment when his mind stray into the lane of the past. However, show that he could cast away those emotions right after he recognise reality and have him focus on what is in front of him in an attempt to convince the reader that he had walked away.