Is 'How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days' Based On A True Story?

My boyfriend of eight years didn’t just leave me. He left me for my sister. And then suddenly, they were getting married. I hate being seen as the weakling, the ugly one. So I did what I could. I made an offer to Liam Carter —my Highschool Bully when we met in Tuscany. The last person I ever wanted to owe anything to. We pretend to date for the summer, to make everyone believe I’ve moved on and in return I help with his PR stunt. It was supposed to be fake. No feelings. No strings. Just a deal between enemies with something to prove. But the more we pretend, the more the lines blur—and suddenly, the boy who once made my life miserable might be the only one who truly sees me. And the worst part? I think I’m starting to fall for him.

Getting drunk and asking the cute guy at the bar to pose as your fake boyfriend at your sister’s wedding? What could possibly go wrong… Not like he is a famous HOTTER THAN ALL HECK actor who is going to ask you to marry him so that he can get more time in the spotlight now that he is no longer relevant. Surely that won’t happen…

I only meant to spite my ex. I didn’t mean to blow up my entire life. Catching my boyfriend cheating backstage was the script from hell. Kissing the first guy I saw to prove I didn't care? That was just bad acting. But I didn't know the "stranger" was Cole Donovan, the campus’s resident tech genius who’s about as emotional as a calculator. Now, a video of that kiss is sitting in my mother’s inbox. She’s gone from "divorced" to "devout," and if I don't prove this mystery guy is my serious, respectable boyfriend, she’s pulling my tuition. I have forty-eight hours to track down a man I don't know, convince him to lie to my mother, and hope he doesn't realize how desperate I actually am. But Cole Donovan doesn't do favors, and he definitely doesn't do drama. I’m an actress, but this is one role I never rehearsed for. And if I can’t convince the campus’s coldest genius to play along, my mother is pulling me out of theater, and my dream is over before the final curtain.

After discovering Lydia's existence, I didn't argue with Alex. I simply handed him a divorce agreement. He sat there with his head lowered. After a long moment of hesitation, he tore it in half. "Please give me ten days. In ten days, I'll send Lydia somewhere far away. She'll never appear in our lives again." Without waiting for my answer, he got up and left the house. During those ten days, he took Lydia whitewater rafting, climbed snowy mountains with her, went bungee jumping and skydiving, and shared every thrilling adventure imaginable. He also watched the sunrise with her by the ocean, prayed together in a church, and did all the romantic things that lovers do. On the night of the ninth day, after I had packed all my luggage, I accidentally received a video call from myself ten years in the past. She looked full of life and asked excitedly, "Are you really me from ten years in the future? Then Alex and I must be married by now, right? Do we have kids?" Heartbroken, I walked onto the balcony and pointed my phone's camera toward Alex and Lydia, who were tightly embracing each other below, unable to let go. "This is your answer." She stared at the screen with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. "That's impossible..." My voice was weary, as though every last bit of strength had been drained from me. "Charlotte... Please. Don't marry him."

The day after I proposed to my fiancée, she sent me a message out of nowhere saying it was over. I called her over and over, frantic, but she hung up every time. I sent message after message, and she read every one without replying. I even went looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found. It was not until I collapsed onto the couch, completely drained and white as a sheet, that I finally saw a new social media post from her childhood friend. [Only Ellery would actually go through with it. She drew the dare to dump her fiancé cold—no explanation, nothing—and she really did it. Absolute legend!] I read it, then replied to her message: [Got it.]

One sarcastic TikTok. That’s all it took to turn Lila’s perfectly average high school life into a full-blown circus. When her private joke about Jason Cole—the most popular (and most irritating) guy in school accidentally goes viral, everyone suddenly believes they’re dating. Jason, of course, plays along. Why wouldn’t he? He gets attention, free perks, and his ego boosted to the size of the football field. But now Lila’s stuck in a deal she never wanted: pretend to be Jason’s girlfriend for a month in exchange for something she needs. Simple, right? Except Jason isn’t making it simple. He’s charming when he wants to be, annoyingly sweet when she least expects it, and suddenly Lila can’t tell what’s fake and what might actually be real. High school was complicated enough without fake boyfriends, viral rumors, and confusing feelings. But falling for Jason Cole? That was never part of the plan.