If both plotlines are key to your story, you need to make that clear in the logline. Otherwise, you risk future readers feeling like you bait-and-switched them.
QandA
Free ebooks correlated with increased print-book sales
In books and in movies, increased sampling usually generates more sales than it costs.
On Alice in Wonderland
I’ve not written Alice in Wonderland three times. It’s a recurring motif, dating back to 1995 and the very start of my career.
Can I base a character on a real asshole?
You’re naturally going to be drawn towards real-life people who are fascinating. That’s a good thing. Observe behavior. Figure out motivations and pathology. Then forget the real person.