On Halloween, My Boyfriend and Brother Tricked Me into a Haunted House Just to Amuse My Best Friend

Every Halloween, Rowan pushes the same plan in the group chat: a haunted house. Chloe cannot bear scary things; last year the experience put her in the ER with stress cardiomyopathy. This year she refuses outright, so her boyfriend Ethan, her brother Xavier and their friend Mason lure her inside by claiming Ethan is bleeding from a prop injury. The corridors are fake, the blood is fake, and the laughter from the control room is real.

When Chloe collapses for a second time, an employee calls for help and she wakes in the ER, where a doctor warns that another episode could kill her. Her phone fills with photos of the four of them celebrating without her, and a bill tagged only to her name. Ethan insists she faked her fear and ruined the night.

Chloe ends the relationship, tells him to move his things out of her apartment, and leaves the group chat. Backing up every message and payment request, she deletes their numbers and unfollows them all.