(Warning: Following content contains spoilers)

This all started when my thirteen-year-old self got obsessed with Wattpad stories and BookTok. After being deeply indulged in these platforms, I discovered "The Twisted Series". Around that time many snippets of this popular series circulated on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. One of them caught my eye since it summarises my entire article in 10 seconds.

This video caught my attention because of the straightforward red flags of the "oh-so-perfect" male leads.

It might seem harmless at first until we unravel the twisted side most of us had ignored.

Twisted Love

The Twisted Series started with our first couple, Ava Chen and Alex Volkov, from Twisted Love. We all must have thought, what could go wrong between a budding photographer and a hot-shot CEO of a tech company?

Wrong.

Let me rewind; it began with Alex being introduced as Ava's brother—Josh's best friend. Josh, while leaving for a medical course, asked Alex to look after his sister, since he would be away for a year. Alex couldn't possibly mess it up, right?

Wrong. Again.

Allow me to explain; it all started with a scene of Ava, an "adult" who gave her consent for a boudoir photoshoot. Alex found out about it, deleted the pictures, and threatened the photographer. Later he justifies his action as his "protection" for her.

In another incident, Alex intruded on her dance with Colton, a government worker and playboy, which was appropriate since he was cautious about her "safety."A few lines later, his true intentions are revealed by the lines—"She" was mine. She just didn’t know it yet. I hadn’t known it myself until I saw her in Colton’s arms." He "claimed" her without her consent, which doesn't make him quite different from the man he protected her from, only in the fact that he was hidden.

Moving to the end of the beloved Twisted Love: after Alex admitted to having used Ava as part of his plan and said he had no romantic feelings for her, Ava goes to London to start afresh. After he understood that he truly loves Ava, Alex goes behind her to pursue her. When he met her and apologised, she clearly stated that she doesn't trust him anymore and that she could find someone else.

In that very moment Alex retorted, "That’s where you’re wrong. I messed up. Massively. But I will earn your forgiveness one day, and you are mine. Always. No matter how much time or distance separates us."

He barely even got his apology accepted before he claimed her again without her consent. People might criticise me and say that she agreed to it later. But that's not where I'm focused.

I'm noticing that moment—Ava could've been dating anyone. When you're not in a relationship with someone, you are not supposed to be under their surveillance. Love, in the real world, is not perfect, but the lack of something doesn't make it right.

Moving on to the second novel, Twisted Games.

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Twisted Games

Our next couple, Rhys Larson and Bridget von Ascheberg, are said to have more green flags than any Twisted couple, as per forums on Reddit. Rhys, a work-orientated bodyguard, falls in love with his royal client, Bridget. Despite the law that forbids them to be together, they fight against odds and are celebrated as a status of love in the small European kingdom of Eldorra.

This book did not contain major red flags compared to the other Twisted Series. Although, one particular scene caught my eye. In chapter 36, Rhys Larsen got jealous because she danced with her "date" for the public eye.

She was not guilty of having cheated on him; in fact, she had to fulfil her duties as a princess. In a fit of jealousy, Rhys, her "bodyguard," asked her to crawl for him. This was an incredibly condescending command, not only because she was royalty, but also because she was a person with her own self-worth.

These little moments we tend to ignore and brush off as part of the story get imbedded in our mindset. We accept such behaviour since we've read about such things to the point it's normal. Regardless, this was the main ick this book gave me. Moving to the third book of the Twisted Series.

Twisted Hate

The classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Josh and Jules forms the basis of this story. They are bound to each other, as Josh's sister Ava and Jules are best friends. Their paths crossed various times—when Jules joined the same clinic Josh worked in and the trip Ava planned out with them. This story in particular has red flags in both the male and female lead characters.

Let's start with Jules—she got blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend "Max" and was asked to steal a portrait (Josh's favourite) so that she could repay him. Instead of confronting Josh with the situation, she goes ahead with the plan to steal his painting, watch, and cash. The main red flags she had would have been a breach of trust and not opening up.

Now Josh, our male lead character. After Jules came clean and retrieved his painting back, he decided to apologise to her. The next moment he declares that it was a "lie" and he wanted to get back at her. In a fit of emotion, he kicks her out, seething with frustration.

The main red flag Josh has is the lack of understanding. Although Jules vividly described her situation, he refused to hear her out.This is the only book in which the majority of readers have noticed the female character to have red flags of her own.

Concluding with the final book of the Twisted Series—Twisted Lies

Twisted Lies

The handsome billionaire, Christian Harper, is obsessed and stalks this gorgeous influencer, Stella Alonso. And she accepts him regardless of the many red flags?

Yes. Because Wattpad-coded is all we need to know about real-life relationships.

Okay, back to the story. Stella and Christian met when they signed the lease on the apartment "The Mirage," owned by Christian. They have undeniable chemistry and a solid slow-burn plot. Still, there are a number of toxic traits that are either normalised or forgiven too easily.

The main one we all can agree on—stalking. Christian knew Stella from four years before and had kept files on her—completely invading her privacy down to the tiniest detail. Stella obviously freaks out and compares him to her stalker. She asks him to leave, as she needs space to breathe.

Later her stalker kidnaps her and declares his love for her. And of course Stella gets creeped out, and although she has shunned Christian for stalking her and hurting her feelings, she thinks well of him now. "Love was what Christian gave me. He’d crossed boundaries and kept secrets, but he would never do this." -Stella's mind was clouded with such thoughts.

This gives us a lesson: when one of us is provided with a new option, we start justifying the option that is more known and comfortable, not right, but comfortable. This is exactly what happened to Stella. Just because someone is worse doesn't make another bad option's actions okay.

Breaking The Cycle

My intention for this article was not to criticize a popular author's writing. It was solely dedicated to exposing how reading such stories makes us accept such behaviour in real life.

Claiming someone that's not yours, toying with someone's self-worth, stealing, lack of understanding, and stalking are not supposed to be brushed off or forgiven. The series shows that it's easy to continue being with the same person although you're hurting; instead, books should show the breakthrough of a character leaving a toxic relationship. Comfort is not always safe for the future.

This forces me to quote a line from one of the most celebrated books, which coincidentally is also a book about toxicity in relationships, It Ends With Us—"Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet."