JAMES LIER

Chapter 1: Meet James James Lier, an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent for lying, lives in the small town of Middleville. Not just any lies—James’s lies are so grand, so utterly ridiculous, that people often wonder if he actually believes them himself. Whether he's claiming to have once saved a cat from a burning building using a trampoline or insisting he invented a type of toothpaste that doubles as a snack, his tales are the stuff of local legend. James works as a salesman at a small electronics store, where his lies often get him into trouble. Today, he convinces a customer that a basic calculator doubles as a portable gaming console. Predictably, the customer returns angry, but James manages to talk his way out of trouble, as always. Chapter 2: The Talent Show Middleville announces a town-wide talent show, and James decides this is the perfect stage for his lies to shine. But what talent can he showcase? After all, his only real talent is lying. James decides to sign up as a "magician" who can make anything disappear—by simply "lying" it away. On the day of the show, his performance is a chaotic disaster. He attempts to make a rabbit disappear by stuffing it under his jacket, but the rabbit escapes, causing havoc on stage. James somehow convinces the audience that this was all part of the act, earning a mixture of laughter and applause. Chapter 3: The Date Disaster James has a crush on Lucy, the town librarian, who is smart, beautiful, and unfortunately for James, has a low tolerance for nonsense. After weeks of trying, he finally gets her to agree to a date. Determined to impress her, James spins a web of lies about his life, claiming to be a secret millionaire with connections to Hollywood. The date starts off well enough, but things go south quickly when Lucy runs into someone who actually knows James. The truth begins to unravel, but James somehow manages to save face, ending the night with a clumsy but sweet attempt at honesty. Lucy isn’t completely sold, but she agrees to a second date—mostly out of curiosity. Chapter 4: The Promotion At work, James’s boss, Mr. Grumble, announces that a managerial position is opening up. James sees this as his chance to finally get the recognition he thinks he deserves. But the competition is fierce, especially with his coworker, Paul, who actually works hard and tells the truth. James concocts a plan to sabotage Paul by spreading a rumor that Paul has a secret fear of staplers—a completely fabricated lie, of course. The rumor spirals out of control, and while Paul is distracted trying to clear his name, James swoops in and lands the promotion. Chapter 5: The Great Car Con Feeling confident in his new position, James decides to upgrade his car. But instead of saving up or taking out a loan, he hatches a plan to trade in his old junker by convincing the dealership that it's a rare collector's item. He regales the skeptical salesman with tales of how his car was once owned by a famous actor who drove it in an iconic movie. Miraculously, James pulls it off, walking away with a shiny new car. However, the victory is short-lived when he realizes that the dealership also pulled a fast one on him by selling him a lemon with a glamorous paint job. Chapter 6: Lucy’s Suspicion Lucy begins to grow suspicious of James after hearing more of his outlandish stories. She decides to do some digging and uncovers that almost everything James has told her is a lie. Feeling betrayed, she confronts him, giving him a chance to come clean. In a rare moment of honesty, James admits to his chronic lying but tries to explain that it’s all in good fun. Lucy, both amused and exasperated, tells him that if he ever wants to see her again, he needs to prove he can be truthful—at least for one day. Chapter 7: The Truth Hurts James takes Lucy’s challenge to heart and tries to go a full day without telling a single lie. It turns out to be much harder than he thought. His day quickly spirals out of control as he awkwardly fumbles through conversations, unable to rely on his usual tall tales. At work, he struggles to sell anything without embellishing the truth, and his coworkers are baffled by his sudden change in behavior. By the end of the day, James is exhausted and frustrated. He meets up with Lucy and tells her the truth about his day, admitting that lying has become so ingrained in him that he doesn’t know how to stop. Lucy, impressed by his effort, agrees to give him another chance, but on the condition that he keeps working on his honesty. Chapter 8: The Big Lie Just when James thinks he’s making progress, he’s faced with his biggest challenge yet. The town is buzzing with news that a famous celebrity is passing through Middleville, and everyone is eager to meet them. Not wanting to miss out on the excitement, James brags that he’s good friends with the celebrity and can arrange a private meet-and-greet. The lie quickly spirals out of control, and soon half the town is relying on James to deliver. Panicking, James tries to find a way out of the mess, but nothing works. In the end, the celebrity never shows up, and James is left to face the wrath of disappointed townsfolk. Chapter 9: The Apology Tour Realizing he’s finally gone too far, James embarks on an “apology tour” around town. He starts with the most absurd lies he’s told, from the calculator-console mix-up to the celebrity meet-and-greet disaster. As he apologizes, people surprisingly begin to forgive him. After all, they’ve always found his lies entertaining, even if they sometimes got out of hand. When he finally reaches Lucy, she smiles and tells him that she always knew he was a liar, but she appreciated his honesty in the end. James feels a weight lift off his shoulders as he promises to keep his lying under control—at least, most of the time. Chapter 10: The Last Lie? James is proud of his recent efforts to curb his lying habit. Middleville seems calmer now that he’s not constantly stirring up chaos with his wild tales. Lucy even tells him she’s noticed the difference and that she’s cautiously optimistic about his "new leaf." James basks in the praise, convinced he’s finally left his lying ways behind. But then, the town announces a huge contest with a grand prize: a luxury vacation to a tropical island. The rules are simple: tell the most impressive story, and the prize is yours. James’s eyes light up with excitement. This is the kind of challenge he was born for! He tries to ignore the temptation, reminding himself of all the progress he’s made, but the idea of spinning one last, grand lie is too irresistible. As he sits down to draft his entry, Lucy catches him in the act. She crosses her arms and gives him a knowing look. “James,” she says, half-warning, half-amused. He grins sheepishly, but the glint in his eye tells her everything she needs to know. Maybe James hasn’t changed as much as he thought. But as he begins crafting his next big story, he promises himself it’ll be his greatest yet. To be continued...