I Won't Be Her Dupe Any Longer

"Hello, can you hear me?"

Neely was so tired. All she wanted was to sleep.

"Ma'am, hang in there. I'm a doctor. We're almost at the hospital."

The car's autonomous-driving system had called 911 the second the crash happened. The medical team had now arrived on the scene and was treating her on the spot, putting an oxygen mask over her face, starting CPR, and injecting epinephrine.

She could feel them fighting for her life, but she couldn't even move a finger or blink to respond.

"Doctor, the patient is pregnant. Looks about five months along, roughly 23 weeks. The fetus is in critical condition—the heart rate is barely detectable. The patient's own heart rate and blood oxygen levels are both dangerously low, too."

"Get the epinephrine and cardiac stimulants ready to inject, and contact her family immediately."

The paramedic took her hand, used her fingerprint to unlock the phone, then frantically started searching through her contacts.

"No parents, no siblings, no boyfriend… Nothing," she exclaimed in shock.

Neely's parents were in prison. They had even tried to drag her into their fraud schemes, using her as bait. She had already blocked the heartless pair back when she was working part-time and attending vocational school, so they naturally weren't in her contacts.

Just then, a message popped up.

"Why did you block me?"

When Elliot Wagner had sent Neely a message earlier, a red exclamation mark had popped up. His calls wouldn't go through either. Only then did he realize she had blocked him everywhere.

So he quickly used his driver's phone to text her.

Clinging to that message like it was a lifeline, the paramedic immediately dialed the number back.

The moment the call connected, Elliot opened with an accusation. "Why did you block me, Neely? What right do you even have to block me? You're nothing but a stand-in!"

Ever since he was a child, Elliot had always gotten what he wanted. The only time that wasn't true was when it came to Angela Boatwright.

Fine. He could accept that, but what right did Neely have?

Neely's other senses were fading, but her hearing remained painfully sharp, so she heard every cruel word.

That was right. In his heart, she'd always been nothing more than a substitute.

Her heart rate spiked wildly on the monitor. The doctor rushed to stabilize her while the paramedic spoke hurriedly into the phone.

"Sir, what is your relationship with the owner of this phone? She was just involved in a catastrophic car accident and is in critical condition. We can't reach any of her friends or family. If you have the time, could you please head over to the hospital?"

The words "critical condition" made Elliot's mind go completely blank.