Bad Person -

He sat in his new, expensive office, looking out at the city. To the world, he was a success story. To Leo, he was the monster who had ruined a career. Arthur knew this, but he didn't feel the remorse he expected. He had realized a hard truth: everyone is the villain in someone else’s story, whether they intend to be or not. He had just decided to be the one who won.

Arthur's fall followed a predictable pattern: he believed a lie, held onto it when challenged, and eventually embraced a worse lie to justify his survival. By the end of the year, he wasn't just a man who had stolen money; he was a man who had orchestrated Leo’s firing to protect his own secret. bad person

reddit.com/r/writing/comments/17fihhl/how_do_you_redeem_a_character_whos_done_terrible/">redemption ? He sat in his new, expensive office, looking out at the city

His transformation began with a small, functional lie: "I’m just doing this for my family". Arthur knew this, but he didn't feel the remorse he expected

But a "bad person" is rarely satisfied with just one win. As the Write Practice suggests, a compelling villain is often a character who accepts more "casualties" to get what they want. Arthur began to see people as obstacles rather than peers. When a younger colleague, Leo, noticed the missing funds, Arthur didn’t panic. He manipulated Leo, using his "good guy" reputation to gaslight the young man into believing he had miscalculated.

This story explores the perspective of a "bad person" through the lens of a , where a character's choices lead to moral deterioration.