I cannot be satisfied without Fanny Price, without making a small hole in Fanny Price's heart. I will not do her any harm, dear little soul! I want nothing more. Love is a beautiful thing, but there are a lot of stumbling blocks that can get in the way of someone experiencing it. Unfortunately, the possibility of winding up with a broken heart is all too real, and for those who have had their hearts broken, the pain can be extreme.
In fact, the emotional hurt that comes from being dumped can be literally painful, and even traumatic. So, it stands to reason that any compassionate person would take steps to ensure that, even if they have to break up with someone, they do it gently and respectfully, minimizing the pain. And then there's this person. Rather than break hearts through ignorance, circumstance, or even by mistake, these characters do it willfully and deliberately, leading their victims along and allowing them to get attached, before shattering their heart with little to no remorse.
They may be the Alpha Bitch , stringing unlucky nerds along for her own cruel amusement and taking advantage of their crushes on her.
They may be a serial womanizer , looking for sex, and attracting so many partners they couldn't care less about the ones who've developed feelings for them. They may be a typical Jerkass with a Lack of Empathy , someone who cares only about themselves , or even a Narcissist or Sociopath , up to being a Sadist , in the most extreme cases.
In many cases, they're manipulative enough to be a Manipulative Bastard , intentionally fooling their victim. Regardless of who they are, though, they have one thing in common: they find a romantic partner, trick them into thinking the romance is real or allowing them to think it is, and then carelessly toss them aside, intentionally or willingly hurting them in the process.
