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On Halloween, My Boyfriend and Brother Tricked Me into a Haunted House Just to Amuse My Best Friend
Novelix
Completed
"I hate Halloween more than any other day of the year, because every year, my best friend Rowan would suggest the same thing in our five-person group chat: let's hit a haunted house. I'm a complete wreck when it comes to scary stuff. Last year, I ended up in the ER with stress cardiomyopathy. This year, I put my foot down. Hard no. But they'd been inside barely ten minutes when my brother called, his voice cracking with panic. ""Your boyfriend got hit by one of the props—his head's bleeding everywhere. Get in here, now!"" I didn't think. I ran. The strobes and screams hit me all at once. Someone with a fake axe chased me through the corridors as I stumbled and crawled, desperate to find Ethan. By the time I reached my boyfriend, I was scraped up everywhere, mascara streaking down my face. I grabbed his arm to drag him out—and laughter erupted behind me. Rowan emerged from the control room, doubled over, clutching her stomach. ""Told you she was faking. Look, she came in anyway."" My brother Xavier and our friend Mason pulled off their monster masks, laughing so hard they could barely stand. ""If you don't freak out and cry, where's the fun for us?"" Ethan got up and brushed the dust off his jacket. Not a scratch on him. ""It's Halloween, Chlo. Lighten up. Don't be a buzzkill."" I stared at them. For years, I'd blamed myself. I was the coward, the one who couldn't fit in. Now I understood: while I'd been curled up sobbing, they'd been watching the monitors, laughing their asses off. They were still laughing. They had no idea this little prank had just cost them me. For good. Forever."
Chapters (3)
第1章
I hate Halloween more than any other day of the year, because every year, my best friend Rowan would suggest the same thing in our five-person group chat: let's hit a haunted house.
I'm a complete wreck when it comes to scary stuff. Last year, I ended up in the ER with stress cardiomyopathy.
This year, I put my foot down. Hard no.
But they'd been inside barely ten minutes when my brother called, his voice cracking with panic. "Your boyfriend got hit by one of the props—his head's bleeding everywhere. Get in here, now!"
I didn't think. I ran.
The strobes and screams hit me all at once. Someone with a fake axe chased me through the corridors as I stumbled and crawled, desperate to find Ethan.
By the time I reached my boyfriend, I was scraped up everywhere, mascara streaking down my face.
I grabbed his arm to drag him out—and laughter erupted behind me.
Rowan emerged from the control room, doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"Told you she was faking. Look, she came in anyway."
My brother Xavier and our friend Mason pulled off their monster masks, laughing so hard they could barely stand.
"If you don't freak out and cry, where's the fun for us?"
Ethan got up and brushed the dust off his jacket. Not a scratch on him.
"It's Halloween, Chlo. Lighten up. Don't be a buzzkill."
I stared at them.
For years, I'd blamed myself. I was the coward, the one who couldn't fit in. Now I understood: while I'd been curled up sobbing, they'd been watching the monitors, laughing their asses off.
They were still laughing. They had no idea this little prank had just cost them me. For good.
Forever.
...
I pressed a hand to my chest, waiting for my heartbeat to settle. It wouldn't.
I couldn't even get to my feet.
Rowan slipped her arm through Ethan's as if she'd done it a hundred times. Xavier and Mason stood on either side of her. All three men were looking at her, still smiling.
I was the one on the floor. My knees and elbows were scraped raw, and every time I moved my forehead stung.
Nobody asked if I was hurt.
Eventually, Ethan sighed and hauled me up by the arm.
"God, you're such a klutz. How do you get this banged up in a haunted house?"
"I tried to stop her," Mason said. "She just ran faster and slammed into a wall. How's that my fault?"
He said it so casually. He'd chased me with the fake axe, cornered me, then kicked me twice when I fell. I'd been trying to get away from him. Now he was grinning as though he'd done me a favor.
Rowan shrugged. "Don't blame me. You're the one who always has to make things difficult."
"You could've just come in with us," Xavier added. "Like everyone else."
Whenever I refused, they'd call me antisocial and freeze me out for days, until I gave in. They'd promise to stay with me, then disappear once we were inside. I'd be left crying in a corner until an employee found me.
Last year, Rowan had chosen an extreme attraction. I'd ended up in the ER. That was why I'd refused this time, no matter how much they complained.
So they'd told me Ethan was hurt. They'd known that would get me through the door.
He slapped my scraped arm, making me flinch. "Come on, Chloe. You're not going to sulk over a few scratches."
That morning, after failing to talk me into going, he'd crouched in front of me and tucked my scarf around my neck.
"Fine. Wait for us at the exit. I'll take you out for steak afterward."
I'd smiled at him, relieved he wasn't angry. I'd thought he was finally listening to me. All the while, he'd been helping them plan this.
I pulled away and headed for the exit without answering.
"Oh, somebody's mad," Rowan called. "Ethan, you'd better go after her."
He hesitated, then caught up and took my hand. "Okay, okay. I'll walk you out."
He started talking about dinner as though nothing had happened. I let him lead me toward the door.
Then a side door swung open. Before I could react, he shoved me through it and slammed it behind me.
I stumbled straight toward a masked employee. A chainsaw roared inches from my ear.
I dropped to the floor, screaming, my arms over my head. Then I scrambled back to the door and pounded until my palms burned.
"Ethan! Open the door—please!"
It stayed shut. I kept calling his name, waiting for him to tell me it was over and let me out.
Pain seized my chest. I tried to draw a breath and collapsed.
The chainsaw stopped. The employee pulled off his mask and forced the emergency exit open.
"Miss? Can you hear me?"
He knelt beside me, reaching for my pulse, then shouted, "Call 911! Someone's collapsed!"
Beyond the open door, I could still hear them laughing as they walked away. I tried to call out. Nothing came.
When I opened my eyes in the ER, I recognized the doctor from last year.
"We talked about avoiding severe stress," she said. "Another episode like this could kill you."
She looked at me. "You weren't in any state to listen last time, so I explained it to all four people who brought you in. What happened tonight?"
I tried to answer, but I couldn't make myself say it.
My boyfriend, my brother, and my two closest friends had done this together.
They'd all apologized last year. Ethan had looked after me while I recovered, and I'd believed they understood. Lately, I'd started to think they'd simply forgotten how serious it was.
"Your test results are concerning," the doctor continued. "I want you evaluated by a specialist. Cleveland Clinic would be a good option. We can send a referral and your records."
I looked down at the report. "Okay. I'll go."
My phone began buzzing on the bedside table.
Xavier was posting photos in the group chat. Rowan was in the middle of every shot, with the three men gathered around her. I wasn't in a single one.
Then Mason posted the bill and tagged me. Only me. The others weren't being asked for a cent.
They'd left me in the haunted house and gone out to celebrate. They'd done it before, too: bars, parties, dinners I wasn't invited to.
Afterward, they'd insist I pay because I'd "wandered off" and worried them.
I typed: "I'm not paying. Not this time. Not ever again."
Rowan replied first. "Seriously, Chloe? You're still mad about a joke? Don't be so cheap."
Then Ethan: "I didn't realize it was you back there. Thought you were one of the staff. My bad. Won't happen again. I sent you the address—come join us."
I stared at his message until the screen blurred.
I'd lost count of the times he'd brushed past me to check on Rowan, even when I was hurt and crying. He'd always apologize afterward, always find some way to make it up to me.
For a long time, that had been enough. Tonight, I couldn't stop seeing his hand pushing me into that room. Or remembering how he'd left me there.
I left the group chat.
Half an hour later, he called. "Why aren't you here? We're all worried. Rowan's so upset she won't eat."
Glasses clinked behind him. Someone cheered. None of them had even noticed I'd left the chat, but he wanted me to come over and make Rowan feel better.
I wiped my eyes. My voice was steady when I answered.
"I'm not coming."
"Chloe—"
"Ethan. We're done."
第2章
For a moment, he said nothing.
"You're still mad? You were the one who ran in. Nobody forced you."
"You think that makes it funny? Ethan, I'm in the ER—"
"You ruined the night pretending to be scared, and now you're breaking up with me over a joke?"
I looked at the monitor beside my bed. I'd been brought in by ambulance, and he was still telling me I was faking.
He'd known I scared easily from the beginning. Once, if the power went out, he'd drop what he was doing and come over. After we moved in together, he left a lamp on every night and warmed me a glass of milk before bed.
For four years, those small routines had made me feel safe. But after I'd introduced him to Rowan, his patience had gradually worn thin.
"Are you really that scared? Rowan says you never used to be like this. I have a life, Chloe. I can't be glued to you twenty-four seven."
Every time, I'd try to explain. I'd never asked him to be with me every minute. I just wanted him to believe me when I said I was frightened.
Tonight, I didn't have another explanation left.
His voice softened. "Come on. You must be hungry. I had them save you a steak. Just come over."
"I said we're breaking up. Move your things out of my apartment."
He exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll stay somewhere else for a few days. You can cool off. I don't even know what you're so upset about."
He hung up before I could answer.
Our group photo filled the screen again. The five of us, smiling, as though we were the closest people in the world.
After every fight, Xavier would turn up at my door with Rowan and Mason behind him. If I'd done something wrong, all four would tell me so. If Ethan had hurt me, they'd tell me to let it go.
This time, he was counting on the same thing. Give me a day or two, send the others around, and I'd stop talking about leaving.
I backed up our messages and every payment request before deleting their numbers, unfollowing them, and changing the photo on my lock screen.
I wanted them out of my life. I was keeping the proof so they couldn't tell me I'd imagined it all.
A friend sent me a screenshot a few minutes later.
"Isn't Ethan your boyfriend? What the hell is Rowan posting? Does she seriously think this is okay?"
Rowan's cheek was pressed against his in the photo. The caption read:
"Some girls think dating them means the world owes them something. Don't worry, babe. Mi casa es tu casa."
Xavier and Mason had commented underneath, praising her for being so easygoing. My brother was helping her mock me while she posed with my boyfriend.
My friend sent more screenshots: posts Rowan had hidden from me. Gifts from all three men. Nights out with the four of them, on evenings I'd been told everyone was busy.
I kept scrolling. Then I saw the ring, and my thumb stopped moving.
A few weeks earlier, Ethan had asked which of two diamond rings I liked better. We'd been together four years. I'd thought he was finally going to propose.
I'd looked at those pictures more times than I could count, imagining the one I'd chosen on my own hand. Every time he made plans for us afterward, I'd wondered whether that would be the night.
Now I was looking at it on Rowan's finger.
I enlarged the photo. There was no mistake. She was holding her hand up for the camera, showing off the ring I'd told him I loved.
I sat with the phone in my lap for a long time. My chest tightened until I had to put it aside. I didn't cry again.
When the doctor came back, I asked her to send the referral to Cleveland, along with my current results and the records from the past year. While I was under observation, the clinic called to arrange an appointment. I booked a flight for three p.m. on November 4.
One-way.
I spent two nights in the hospital. None of them called. They didn't know where I was, and apparently none of them needed to find out.
On November 2, I was discharged with instructions to take my medication, avoid stress, and seek help immediately if my symptoms returned.
Back at the apartment, I bagged Ethan's clothes, Xavier's jackets, Mason's controller, and Rowan's scarf. Their things were everywhere.
I'd always liked that they felt at home with me. Now I wanted every reminder by the door.
I packed my clothes and documents, contacted a realtor about selling, and asked the building to revoke the others' access. They needed me to verify the request in person, so I made an appointment for the following morning and booked a locksmith to change the lock afterward. Ethan still had his key.
By then, I was exhausted. I went to bed.
The next morning, laughter woke me.
I opened my bedroom door and found the apartment a mess, with four familiar faces turning toward me. They were smiling as though nothing had happened.
第3章
My chest tightened as I looked around.
Rowan and Mason were on my cream-colored couch, shoes on, playing Xbox.
At the bar, Xavier spilled wine while opening a bottle. He dropped my discharge papers onto the puddle and pushed them across the floor with his shoe.
Ethan had let them in with his key. He kicked his bag aside, swept my heart medication off the dining table, and put a pizza box in its place. Two of the bottles were prescriptions I'd filled the day before.
They rolled beneath the table. He crouched to pick them up, then stopped when I spoke.
"This is my home. You came in without my permission. I can call the police."
All four turned toward me. For a moment, the only sound was the game on the television.
Xavier set down the bottle. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? We're not allowed over now?"
"No. You're not."
Ethan straightened, leaving the medication where it was. "They came to apologize. Rowan even brought seafood. Do you have to look at her like that?"
Rowan nodded, her lips pushed out. I glanced toward the kitchen, where three bags sat beside the sink.
"Does anyone here know how to prepare it? Or did you come to apologize and expect me to cook for you?"
They knew I was allergic. It had never stopped them from bringing Rowan's favorite food and leaving me to prepare a meal I couldn't eat. If I objected, she looked hurt and they called me ungrateful. I'd put on gloves, cook for everyone, and clean up afterward.
Rowan's mouth tightened. "Fine. We'll order something. You don't have to make a whole thing out of it."
"I said get out of my apartment."
Xavier and Mason glared at me. Ethan snapped, "Chloe. Watch your tone."
I crossed the room and pulled Rowan to her feet. Her phone slipped onto the couch, and the video she'd paused started playing.
Laughter burst from the speaker.
The title read: "Dumbass Friend Pranked Into a Haunted House."
I stopped, staring at the screen. It was me on Halloween, stumbling into walls and falling as Mason chased me. Every fall had a cartoon sound effect. Filters distorted my terrified face.
Rowan glanced at the phone and smiled. "It's just for fun. You need a title like that if you want people to click. Look, it's blowing up."
She ran promotional campaigns for local businesses. She was always talking about growing her account and landing better deals.
The video had eighty-seven thousand likes.
I looked from the number to my face on the screen. I'd thought I was trying to reach my injured boyfriend. They'd been recording something to post.
That was what they'd been laughing at when I came out of my bedroom. They'd watched it again, with me asleep just down the hall.
My hand shook as I picked up her phone. I tossed it onto the cushion beside her.
"Delete it. Now."
She shrieked and threw herself backward, landing in the open pizza box. Cheese smeared across her dress.
I hadn't thrown the phone at her. Everyone in that room had seen where it landed.
Xavier shoved me aside so hard I stumbled, then rushed to help her up.
"Apologize to Rowan. Right now. I'm the only family you've got left, and you can't even listen to me?"
Mason bent toward her, asking softly whether she was hurt. When he turned to me, his voice changed.
"It was a joke. Get over yourself."
Ethan pulled Rowan against his chest. "You've been taking this out on everyone since Halloween. Now you're throwing things at her?"
"I threw it onto the couch. You watched me."
"She's your best friend, Chloe."
"My best friend?"
I laughed, though my eyes were burning. Three men were crowded around a woman with pizza on her dress. My medication was still on the floor.
"She knows what those places do to me. Last year, I ended up in the hospital. This year, you all helped her trick me into going back."
Rowan stayed against Ethan's chest. He made no move to let her go.
"Then she turned it into a video so strangers could laugh at me too. That's a friend?"
My gaze moved from Xavier to Mason, then settled on Ethan. I'd spent years loving these people and trying to keep them happy. Now they were waiting for me to apologize for objecting.
"You don't deserve to be my brother, my boyfriend, or my friends."
"I'm done with all of you."
