Chad the First
Chad's romance with Becky was, at first, idyllic. Their passion was all-consuming, life-affirming, incandescent. They couldn't bear to spend even a moment of time apart from each other.
But the cracks began to show, as they will do. Chad noticed that Becky wasn't the perfect human being he had unfairly envisioned her as. Her taste in memes was questionable, she grew testy after a few glasses of Chardonnay, and she was irritatingly self-righteous in her politics.
This was bad news. Chad viewed relationships, essentially, as consumer transactions: you get the best deal you can, and when the deal goes sour, you look for another one. This view of relationships colored the way Chad looked at Becky. When one of her (perfectly normal) flaws reared its head, Chad wondered whether this meant he should look elsewhere for romance. He tried to conceal these feelings, but men are rarely good at such concealment, and he was no exception. There was a spooky placidity in his smile, a faraway look in his eyes, and an uncomfortable silence where conversations increasingly crash-landed.
Becky, sensing that Chad's affection was becoming more and more conditional, became less agreeable, and more withdrawn. His scrutiny made her less eager to accommodate his flaws, which were less visible to Chad than they were to her. Eventually, the relationship withered, after about six months. Chad felt relieved. He sort of faintly wondered whether he’d missed out on something great, but, nevertheless, shotgunned a beer and ventured out into the Williamsburg streets, eager to set sight on other prospects.
CTF Ending 1
After living most of his twenties and much of his thirties as an overgrown Peter Pan, Chad, in a panic, gazed around his filthy bedroom and realized that he needed long-term companionship, and, moreover, that he'd spent his youth chasing women rather than pursuing his dreams. He abruptly settled down, half-happily, and despaired of his choices.
CTF Ending 2
Same as Ending 1, except Chad was perfectly happy with his lifestyle choices and honorable in his conduct. Eventually, in his late thirties, he found someone he liked much more than Becky, with no apparent cost except that of the admittedly plentiful time spent on dating.
Chad the Second
Chad's romance with Becky was, at first, idyllic. Their passion was all-consuming, life-affirming, incandescent. They couldn't bear to spend even a moment of time apart from each other. And, when the cracks began to show, Chad was undaunted. He knew that relationships are as much about the decision to have them as they are about the people involved.
If their conversations were tiring, Chad resolved to do everything he could to personally make them more amusing. If Chad was stuck on any of Becky's flaws, he first examined his own flaws, and also wondered if Becky's behavior was at all a big deal. If, at the end of this examination, Chad concluded that Becky's behavior really was unacceptable to him, he registered his objections with loving, non-insistent communication. Meanwhile, he was open to Becky's suggestions about how he might also be a better partner. Romantic self-improvement was permanently at the top of his agenda.
With this constructive mentality, their relationship flourished; they had a lot of fun, and grew and matured together, compensating for each others' flaws and accentuating each others' strengths.
CTS Ending 1
Chad and Becky got married, had a family, and had a happy life together. They inspired their friends, provided beautiful lives for their children, and bolstered their community.
CTS Ending 2
The relationship became abusive and dysfunctional, and, due to the strong relationship-preserving norms in play, the breakup only came after years of suffering.
Love the break in narrative expectation. Good stuff! So many of your posts in this series are a delight to read