Can we just talk about how the ex of the MC or LI is always a cheater? Like they never have opposite interest, just aren’t working out or have literally any other reason to break up. The ex was always just a cheating a-hole whose there to provide a reason for the MC not to jump the LI, and the LI to want every girl ever to jump him.
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Right, why can’t the ex be a person that just wasn’t right for the MC? Two people can just have a mutual breakup too.
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Yeah, it’s always so annoying, and the way they’re caught is always the same too.
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I’m kinda guilty of this cliché with my first story. 
But in my current and second story, I don’t use any cheating exes. I realised that it’s just dumb and lazy writing. 
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Yeah, I also feel like it kinda adds to the normalization of cheating in our culture.
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Cheating is normalised especially between MC and LI because “tHeY aRe EnDgAmE”.
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MC: Gasp Michael?!
(I’m just using a random name here lol)
Michael: Oh sh*t!
MC’s best friend (or some rando): MC?!
I’m too lazy to think of a name
MC: I can’t believe you two! Tongue wrestling behind my back?! Best friend, I thought we told each other that making out with each other’s boyfriend is wrong! And Michael, I thought you loved me!
Michael: MC, I do love you, I—
MC’s best friend: He did love you, but now he loves me. I’ve been trying to tell you I loved Michael for a long time, but you never thought I was serious.
You get what’s coming next.
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Hmm? Mc cries and runs away, like she does when she sees the LI talking to another girl later in the story? Or his that too far-fetched of me?
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That’s one of the cliche things to do in this scenario, but I was thinking that the MC says, “Well, now I believe you, and I hate that I never listened to you sooner. But that doesn’t excuse you going behind my back and moaning with my boyfriend!” And then she slaps them both and runs away while the now ex-boyfriend yells and runs after the MC and the best friend chases after him.
But good guess!
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Hmm yeah that sounds just about right. What do you think of when the LI has a cheating ex?
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I wouldn’t care about them as long as they aren’t a psycho that will do whatever it takes to get them back. Being angry and wanting revenge but not doing anything (or just being a friend) is fine.
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I don’t get the cheating and then being upset when they don’t take you back, and then turning around and blaming the MC?
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I can’t even think of a valid reason for this. 🤷🏽 They just blame them.
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Well, mostly, it’s the usual big bad ending for the ex, or the psycho whore the LI decided to have a rebound with 
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yess!! ugh so annoying!!
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It’s the fact that neither side can get ver the other one for me
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Yeah, it really is
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I noticed this too! It never ends on a good note. People can still be good friends with their exes, and I never see this.
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Exactly my problem with this trope
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Now that you mention it, you’re completely right! Just a theory, but I think the only reason authors do it is to add drama. Maybe the scene isn’t as spicy as they want it to be, so they just add a cheater in since everybody hates them. I also think that maybe they don’t want you to like the ex so that you’re more driven to the chosen LI, instead of saying “I like the ex as a character, I wanna be with them.” It isn’t realistic that every relationship is going to end bad and I’d actually really love to see relationships end in a way that isn’t absolutely horrible.
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