Born to Be Bad

Donna Foster is a capable, loyal assistant who hosts Christabel in San Francisco while she attends business school. She is trusting and kind, focused on family and propriety. The arrival of Christabel unsettles her engagement to Curtis and jeopardizes her relationship with Nick. Throughout the plot, Donna must navigate manipulation and heartbreak, ultimately reconciling with Curtis.

Christabel is a scheming, socially ambitious figure who uses charm to climb into high society. She flirts with Curtis at a party, encourages a prenuptial agreement, and manipulates Donna to secure Curtis’s fortune. She pursues Nick as well, hoping to keep the affair secret to maintain her status. Her calculated moves drive the plot and reveal the dangers of social climbing.

Curtis is a wealthy, socially ambitious bachelor whose fortune makes him a prize in high society. He is flattered by Christabel's interest and agrees to a prenup, indicating a desire to protect his wealth. He marries Christabel but is later exposed to her deceit and ultimately reconnects with Donna. His decisions illustrate how money and status influence romantic choices.

Nick Bradley is an aspiring author who becomes entangled with Christabel. He is drawn to her but is confronted with the reality of a secret affair and its moral implications. His reaction to the proposition of secrecy highlights his integrity and distance from Christabel's scheming. He becomes a moral compass amid the social machinations.

Gabriel Broome is a painter whose studio and portrait sessions provide a backdrop to the social drama. He witnesses the vanity and flirtations of the era, and his portrait of Christabel adds a visual layer to the story. He serves as an observer within the art world that intersects with the publishing and social scenes.

John Caine is the publisher who oversees the literary world surrounding Christabel's and Nick's careers. He acts as a gatekeeper and catalyst, revealing the truth behind Aunt Clara's claimed absence and shaping the narrative around the characters' ambitions. His actions influence how the relationships unfold in the social sphere.

Aunt Clara is the supposed relative whom Christabel claims to visit; her supposed death becomes a pivotal lie that unsettles Curtis. Her presence or absence catalyzes key plot turns and exposes Christabel's deception. She embodies the family ties that anchor the social world in the story.