Faking It for Survival

Delilah Edwards, a neurodivergent, anxious, and recently fired English teacher, is desperate for a new start. She's scraping by, faking confidence in job interviews, and faking orgasms in her relationship with Parker, her well-meaning but oblivious boyfriend. Her life is a patchwork of coping mechanisms, color-coded pouches, and a demon cat named Fitzwilliam. When she lands an interview at the prestigious Truman Academy, she's hopeful but haunted by her past and the secret of why she was fired. Her world is about to collide with privilege, power, and a chance encounter that will change everything.

The Interview and the Impostor

After a nerve-wracking interview, Delilah stumbles into a bathroom where she finds Cordelia Montgomery, a beautiful, wealthy, and panic-stricken heiress. Cordelia, desperate to escape a high-profile event, proposes they swap clothes so she can slip away unnoticed. Delilah, ever empathetic, agrees. Suddenly, Delilah is thrust into Cordelia's world, wearing a $15,000 dress and mistaken for the reclusive heiress at a glittering dinner. She's swept into a world of old money, sharp socialites, and a mysterious, magnetic man named August Beckett—Beck—who seems to see right through her.

Panic in the Powder Room

Delilah and Cordelia's bathroom encounter is more than a simple swap; it's a meeting of two women who understand the weight of mental illness and social expectation. Delilah's empathy and Cordelia's desperation forge a quick, deep connection. Both are haunted by trauma—Cordelia by a violent past and Delilah by professional and personal failures. Their alliance is cemented by mutual understanding, and Cordelia's gratitude soon turns into a proposition that will upend Delilah's life.

A Dress, a Deal, a Double

Cordelia, unable to face the public due to her anxiety and traumatic history, offers Delilah a job: become her public double for the summer. The deal is transactional but laced with vulnerability—Cordelia needs Delilah to convince the world she's a capable heiress, and Delilah needs the money and a fresh start. The arrangement is complicated by Cordelia's promise to help Delilah get her dream teaching job, and by the growing sense that Delilah is stepping into a fairy tale with a dark, modern twist.

Dinner Among Wolves

Delilah, now in Cordelia's dress and identity, is swept into a high-stakes dinner where she must navigate the treacherous waters of Boston's elite. She's seated next to Beck, a powerful, enigmatic businessman with his own agenda. Their banter is electric, but Delilah is out of her depth, faking confidence and dodging questions about her (Cordelia's) life. The dinner is a test of her improvisational skills, and Beck's interest in her is both a threat and a temptation.

The Heiress and the Stand-In

Delilah's new job as Cordelia's double is both exhilarating and terrifying. She's fitted for designer dresses, coached on Cordelia's history, and thrust into a series of public appearances. Meanwhile, Beck is circling, his intentions unclear—he's drawn to "Cordelia," but is he after her heart, her body, or her fortune? Delilah's anxiety is ever-present, but she finds unexpected joy in the performance, and in the genuine friendship that develops with Cordelia. The lines between real and pretend begin to blur.

The Proposal: Pretend to Be Me

Cordelia's plan is revealed: her inheritance and the future of the Montgomery empire depend on her public image. Delilah's role is crucial—not just for appearances, but to buy Cordelia time to dissolve the company and create a foundation in her mother's name. The stakes are raised when Beck's interest in "Cordelia" becomes part of the public narrative, and Delilah must navigate the growing attraction, the lies, and the mounting pressure from all sides.

Enter Beck: Motives and Mergers

August Beckett, CEO of Axent, is a man used to getting what he wants. He's initially drawn to Cordelia for a merger that would combine old and new money, but Delilah's authenticity and vulnerability catch him off guard. Beck's own family history is dark—his mother is in prison for killing his abusive father, and his brother Julian is a ruthless strategist. Beck's pursuit of Delilah is a mix of genuine attraction, business calculation, and a desire to win at all costs. Their chemistry is undeniable, but trust is in short supply.

Lessons in Trust and Touch

Delilah's journey is as much about reclaiming her body and pleasure as it is about survival. Beck, a dominant with a penchant for control, becomes her unlikely guide in exploring her sexuality and overcoming her anorgasmia. Their encounters are charged with consent, communication, and experimentation—ranging from sex clubs to public displays to deep, emotional intimacy. Delilah learns to articulate her needs, set boundaries, and trust herself, even as she struggles with the knowledge that Beck's original interest was transactional.

The Sex Club Experiment

A pivotal night at an exclusive sex club becomes a turning point. Delilah, wearing a red ribbon (off-limits except to Beck), is both terrified and exhilarated. The experience is less about sex and more about agency—she chooses what to try, what to refuse, and what to enjoy. Beck's respect for her boundaries and his willingness to teach, not just take, deepen their connection. For Delilah, pleasure becomes possible, and for Beck, vulnerability becomes real.

Unraveling Secrets and Loyalties

The web of lies tightens. Beck's brother Julian is revealed to be manipulating events behind the scenes, plotting to seize the Montgomery fortune through marriage, pregnancy, or worse. Victor, Cordelia's bodyguard, is more than he seems—a man with ties to organized crime, but fiercely loyal to Cordelia. Delilah's past comes back to haunt her when her abusive former boss, Roger, tries to destroy her. A car crash orchestrated by Roger nearly kills Delilah, and Beck's desperate rescue is both a reckoning and a catalyst for truth.

The Crash and the Consequences

In the aftermath of the crash, secrets are exposed. Delilah's true identity is revealed to the world, Cordelia's plan to dissolve the company succeeds, and Julian's machinations are brought to a violent end. Beck's role in the deception is laid bare, and Delilah is forced to confront the depth of his betrayal—and her own complicity in the lies. The women, scarred but unbroken, reclaim their agency. Beck must choose between power and love, and Delilah must decide if forgiveness is possible.

Truths, Betrayals, and New Beginnings

Delilah and Cordelia, now sisters by choice, build a new life together. Cordelia's foundation becomes a force for good, and Delilah finds purpose in teaching and writing. Beck, humbled and changed, works to earn Delilah's trust back—not with grand gestures, but with honesty, vulnerability, and respect. The found family expands to include Brody (Beck's niece), Tabitha, Defne, and even Victor. The fairy tale is rewritten: there is no prince, no rescue, only women saving themselves and each other.

Healing, Forgiveness, and Found Family

Delilah and Beck's reconciliation is slow, hard-won, and rooted in mutual growth. They learn to communicate, to apologize, to set boundaries, and to choose each other every day. Their love is messy, neurodivergent, and real. The story's true happy ending is not a wedding or a fortune, but the creation of a chosen family where everyone is seen, valued, and safe. The final chapters are a celebration of healing, self-acceptance, and the courage to love on your own terms.

Happily Ever After, Redefined

The epilogue finds Delilah and Beck, now engaged, surrounded by friends and family. Their journey has been anything but traditional, but their love is fierce, honest, and hard-won. Delilah proposes to Beck, subverting the fairy tale script, and he says yes. The final image is not of a rescued princess, but of two flawed, resilient people choosing each other—and themselves—every day. Cinderella, it turns out, was faking it all along, but in the end, she found her perfect fit.

Characters

Delilah Edwards

Delilah is a fiercely intelligent, anxious, and neurodivergent English teacher whose life is upended by job loss and trauma. She's defined by her empathy, her need for order (color-coded everything), and her struggle to find pleasure and agency in a world that constantly misunderstands her. Her relationship with Cordelia is a lifeline—two women bonded by trauma and mutual understanding. Delilah's journey is one of self-acceptance, sexual awakening, and learning to trust herself and others. Her development is marked by her willingness to take risks, set boundaries, and ultimately choose her own happiness, even when it means walking away from love.

Cordelia Montgomery

Cordelia is the sole heir to a vast fortune, but her life is circumscribed by anxiety, PTSD, and the legacy of violence—her mother's murder and her own kidnapping. She's both fragile and formidable, orchestrating a plan to dissolve her father's company and create a foundation in her mother's name. Her relationship with Delilah is sisterly, built on shared neurodivergence and mutual rescue. Cordelia's arc is about reclaiming agency, redefining legacy, and finding family on her own terms. Her romance with Victor is understated but deeply moving—a love built on trust, protection, and shared survival.

August Beckett (Beck)

Beck is a powerful, calculating businessman with a dark family history—his mother killed his abusive father, and his brother Julian is a ruthless manipulator. Initially, Beck's interest in Cordelia (and thus Delilah) is transactional—a merger of fortunes and power. But Delilah's authenticity, vulnerability, and intelligence disarm him. Beck is a dominant, both in business and the bedroom, but his true growth comes from learning to listen, to apologize, and to love without control. His relationship with Delilah is a crucible for both, forcing him to confront his own wounds and rewrite his story.

Julian Beckett

Julian is Beck's older brother and the story's primary human antagonist. He's a master strategist, willing to manipulate, blackmail, and even plot murder to secure the Montgomery fortune. His relationship with Beck is fraught—brothers first, but rivals always. Julian's arc is a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of power, legacy, and the inability to break free from a toxic family script.

Victor Yelchin

Victor is Cordelia's bodyguard, driver, and confidant—a man with a mysterious past and ties to organized crime. He's stoic, deadly, and fiercely loyal to Cordelia, willing to kill to protect her. His relationship with Cordelia is one of deep, unspoken love and mutual rescue. Victor is the story's quiet hero, the man who does what needs to be done when others hesitate.

Parker

Parker is Delilah's boyfriend at the start—a kind, stable, but ultimately incompatible partner. He represents the comfort of the known, but also the limitations of a relationship where Delilah must constantly fake her pleasure and her self. His inability to understand or support Delilah's true self is a catalyst for her growth and eventual departure.

Tabitha

Tabitha is Delilah's best friend—a gruff, no-nonsense yoga teacher with a heart of gold. She's the voice of reason, the devil on Delilah's shoulder, and the first to call out bullshit. Her friendship is a model of unconditional support, tough love, and the importance of chosen family.

Defne

Defne is the soft, nurturing counterpoint to Tabitha's bluntness. She's a grad student, a puppy-video poster, and the friend who always brings snacks and tissues. Defne's optimism and emotional intelligence help Delilah process her trauma and believe in the possibility of happiness.

Brody

Brody is Beck's niece, a budding fighter, and a bridge between the old and new generations. Her relationship with Delilah is one of mentorship and mutual admiration. Brody's presence grounds Beck, challenges his priorities, and offers a glimpse of a future not defined by the sins of the past.

Roger Childs

Roger is Delilah's former boss, a manipulative abuser whose actions haunt her long after she leaves her job. His reappearance and ultimate demise are a reckoning for Delilah—a confrontation with the past that nearly destroys her, but also sets her free.

Plot Devices

Doppelgänger/Impostor Motif

The central device is Delilah's impersonation of Cordelia—a literal and metaphorical act of faking it. This allows the novel to explore themes of authenticity, performance, and the masks women wear to survive. The swap is both a fairy tale (Cinderella in disguise) and a critique of the systems that force women to perform for safety, acceptance, and power.

Consent, Communication, and Sexual Healing

Delilah's anorgasmia and sexual anxiety are not just personal struggles, but narrative engines. Beck's role as both lover and teacher is fraught—he must learn to listen, to respect boundaries, and to decenter his own pleasure. Their sexual journey is a microcosm of the novel's larger themes: trust, vulnerability, and the reclamation of agency.

Power, Inheritance, and the Fairy Tale Subversion

The plot is driven by the high-stakes game of inheritance, with marriage as both a business contract and a potential site of liberation. The novel subverts the Cinderella myth—Delilah is not rescued by a prince, but by her own courage, her chosen family, and her refusal to fake it any longer.

Found Family and Chosen Sisters

The relationships between Delilah, Cordelia, Tabitha, and Defne are as central as the romance. The novel uses the found family trope to challenge the primacy of romantic love and to show that healing and happiness are collective, not individual, achievements.

Trauma, Recovery, and Neurodivergence

The story foregrounds anxiety, PTSD, and neurodivergence—not as quirks, but as fundamental realities that shape every choice, relationship, and risk. The narrative structure mirrors Delilah's mind: nonlinear, recursive, and deeply attuned to sensory and emotional detail.

Foreshadowing and Narrative Mirrors

The novel uses foreshadowing (the car crash, the threat of violence, the inheritance plot) and narrative mirroring (Delilah and Cordelia's parallel traumas, Beck and Julian's sibling rivalry) to create a sense of inevitability and to highlight the ways in which survival is both individual and collective.

Analysis

Cinderella Is Faking It is a sharp, subversive, and deeply contemporary reimagining of the fairy tale for the age of anxiety, trauma, and late capitalism. Dilan Dyer's novel is not just a romance, but a meditation on the ways women are forced to perform—sexually, professionally, emotionally—to survive in a world that rewards conformity and punishes vulnerability. By centering neurodivergence, sexual healing, and the power of chosen family, the book offers a new kind of happy ending: one where love is not rescue, but recognition; where agency is reclaimed, not bestowed; and where the real magic is the courage to stop faking it and demand a life that fits. The novel's lessons are clear: authenticity is radical, boundaries are sacred, and the only fairy tale worth living is the one you write for yourself.

Last updated: May 20, 2025