there you go, some food for thought.
On the topic of MC having multiple relationships / open relationship (or love experiment if you like to twist words) and doing that not fitting his character.
If I have to be honest I think it fits MC perfectly, as he gains more self worth some traits of his personality come out quite strongly.
He is an incorrigible flirt and he does it out of desire and attention more than Lacey.
I would need to go back and pin point the exact moment I noticed it, but the scene with the pimp at the club in act 1 is a good example.
He feels the weight of all those lost years, all those chances and desires missed or put on hold.
This is why in act 2 my biggest regret choice is always Anna, it is closely tied to his lost time and that he won't be able to take back or redo (also because it is the only thing that makes sense).
He does have hang ups, but mostly because that he does have some integrity (sometimes, how he acts with bethany in both acts and jeanette in act 2 is disgusting) and he feels like Lacey would be angry and leave him.
On the other hand Lacey couldn't give a fuck if he fucks around, her only fear is the emotional aspect of "cheating" (did you know that on average people feel more pain when their partner falls in love with someone else than if they have sex? just saw some article today) and losing MC affection and "jealousy" towards her.
She does feel that sex could be a way to lose him but that is because it is the only thing she can give him, good head and an ass able to accept enormous objects.
But that is it, she has nothing else in her eyes, I mean, she tries but you know how it goes.
She is unable to make him feel safe and loved, which is basic basic struff in a relationship.
This is why the she wants to fuck other men line never sticks with me, it goes against her primal fear of loss.
When she does it is always tied to an uterior motive (then since she is a slut with daddy issues she gets into it).
I would like to add that his "lost time" is interpreted always sexually, however, Lacey is very clear when she talks about giving him "experiences", that are still mostly related to dating, to make him see how worthy of love he is.
Although, I would have loved an angle where they would go to concerts, raves, whatever you can think of so he can get back also those moments.
Obviously half if not all of them will be already tainted by Lacey's past, as she probably got fucked on stage at a concert for example, still it would really reinforce the idea of reclaiming those 4 years.
For all this to work we need an enourmous amount of suspension of disbelief, since even if we are drawn to believe that he is the most handsome and good looking man on the planet, his character is obviously repulsive.
Even one of his positive traits, which is true compassion, is actually rather off putting for potential partners, I would personally feel unsafe if my partner was unable to draw lines to avoid people that hurt her or us in the past.
He is whiny, broken, unable to be honest with his emotions and, more often than not, incompetent and passive.
And I understand that he is a victim, that garners pity and simpathy, but surely not affection and love.