The Borrowed Boyfriend

For seven years, Sue has loved Seth, a man who spends every Christmas pretending to be the boyfriend of Julie, the childhood friend he has always chased. When Seth buys a Mercedes meant to give Julie face and tells Sue to take the train home alone, she accepts it as she always has. Then the illegal cab she takes instead crashes on the highway, and she wakes in the hospital three days later to twenty-nine missed calls from him.

Seth believes the police call about her accident was a scam she staged to ruin his holiday with Julie. He arrives late, tosses her a ring engraved with Julie's initials, and rushes back to Julie's family. Sue, who once clung to the only warmth she ever knew, now sees the love she begged for clearly.

After nearly losing her life, she chooses to leave without hesitation.