Fake

Inspired by the remarkable story of Anna Delvey, described by Jessica Pressler in The Cut.

I’ve always been fascinated by fakes. I’ve heard it said that imposters steal lives they aren’t entitled to because they’re too lazy to actually be something, but the legendary fakes I’ve heard of—Frank Abagnale, Ferdinand Demara, Stephen Glass—had to work incredibly hard at keeping their acts together. Being a fraud, especially a popular, high-profile one, is a 24/7 job that inevitably becomes exponentially difficult.