beta
The people rendering readers' problems with the lack of character development as nothing but an inability to recognize a "slowburn", please be so fr. The problem lies in the stagnancy of the characters coupled with no healthy, foreseeable redemption at this point.
Dan has the constitution of a wet paper bag, which once began as endearing, but now borders on insufferable. JK is an angry, abusive monster who seemingly lacks empathy. This is all we have seen as an audience for 50+ chapters and has hardly deviated.
There's a myriad of red flags I was originally able to overlook, because with proper storyteling, they could have been apologized for or explained away. Now, it just seems like there's no realistic, satisfying redemption I can see for this. For me personally at this point, there is no apology, backstory, or otherwise that's gonna justify JK being as unhinged as he's been.
Anyone looking through the previous chapters for human moments for JK realistically are only going to find two: Him speaking with Granny and him showing a modicum of consent after getting drunk.
"He paid off Dan's debts!" - because it was an inconvenience to him that Dan had other things distracting him from solely focusing on his physical therapy. Need I remind you, he walked in on Dan getting ROCKED by his debtors, and his first thought wasn't "Oh no, Dan! Do you need help?" It was "You're late." The only reason he beat them up was because they challenged him, not because he was concerned for Dan.
In order to avoid making this post any longer, I'll skip over him referring to Dan as his "property" and skip to where I lost all hope:
Dan decides he wants to get the rich man a heartfelt present. Instead of asking this man for a raise that he knows said man can easily afford, he takes a night job; he works tirelessly for that man by day, then makes his money for his present at night. Said man notices how tired he is, but doesn't care or ask about his health. Once Dan finally gifts said man the present, instead of appreciating it or the work Dan put into getting it for him, he throws it away. He then mocks him for being so sentimental and berates him for exhausting himself and not focusing solely on his physical therapy.
I've read "slowburns", and the good one still have better ways of portraying potential for a healthy, realistic love story than this has. If not, the author gives clear and/or nuanced indication as to why the love might result in toxicity. This story makes it seem like there's supposed to be a light at the end of the tunnel, while giving us nothing but Dan torture porn.