Tell Them You Lied

by Laura Leffler · 2025

Anna’s world is art, ambition, and the magnetic pull of Willow—a mysterious, moody New York artist who becomes both muse and rival. Fresh out of art school, Anna is dazzled by Willow’s confidence and the promise of shared secrets, but five years later the glitter of the city’s art scene has hardened into a cut‑throat survival game. When Anna stages a fake mugging to jolt Willow back toward a friend, the plan spirals out of control. The staged attack, meant to be a mirror for Willow’s cruelty, collides with the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and Willow vanishes. As the city reels, Anna wrestles with guilt, fearing she may have set the chain of events in motion. In this gripping debut, Laura Leffler explores the fragile line between inspiration and manipulation, the weight of friendship gone wrong, and the haunting question of how far one will go to reclaim power when everything—art, loyalty, and a city—shatters.