He Left Me on the Launched Drop Tower for His Bestie’s Laugh Chapter 03

He Left Me on the Launched Drop Tower for His Bestie’s Laugh Chapter 03

At the celebration dinner, after a few drinks, Blaire suddenly started telling embarrassing stories from my childhood.

“You guys don’t know Willa. She’s so pathetic.”

“In middle school, someone locked her in the equipment room all night. She just cried until her voice went hoarse and never even knocked on the door.”

A coworker wiped tears of laughter. “Willa, that’s beyond pathetic.”

Blaire elbowed Ethan. “Ask Ethan if it’s true.”

Ethan hesitated, seeing how humiliated I was. But Blaire tugged his sleeve, and he still spoke.

“Yeah, when the teacher asked her what happened, she just hid behind me and couldn’t even look up.”

The whole table erupted in laughter. I dug my nails into my palms. I gathered my courage.

“Can you stop? I don’t like being gossiped about.”

The room went dead silent.

A coworker leaned over and whispered, “Don’t pick a fight with her. Blaire’s got connections. The boss gave everyone a heads-up to make sure nobody gives her a hard time.”

She paused.

“Since you’ve known Blaire since you were kids, you must know the boss too, right? So why…”

I froze, remembering.

I wanted to be closer to Ethan, so I killed myself prepping for the interview to get into this company.

When I ran into him downstairs, he didn’t even say hi.

“I don’t want people taking it easy on you because of me, Willa. You need to grow on your own.”

I forced a smile. “Just classmates. We weren’t close.”

Later, someone suggested an escape room.

Hospital theme, five-star horror rating.

It was clearly aimed at me.

When we split into teams, everyone avoided me.

One coworker half-joked, “No offense, but we’d get held back.”

Eventually, only Ethan, Blaire, and I were left.

Ethan looked at me awkwardly, then stood beside Blaire. “Willa, this is a great chance to toughen up. Try it alone.”

Everyone paired up and went in.

Except me.

I felt like a little kid again.

My mom didn’t like me, and neither did the other kids.

Team adventures—nobody ever picked me.

I didn’t want to play anymore.

I just wanted to go home.

But my mom would shove me back into the group.

“Always shrinking into the background like a scared little mouse. Why can’t you be more like Blaire? Then maybe someone would actually want you around!”

I stood alone under a tree.

Ethan walked over. “I’ll team up with you.”

But then Blaire’s partner left, and he ran back to her.

Twenty years, and I was still alone.

I used to think he was the one pulling me out of my fear and insecurity.

But he was holding Blaire’s hand the whole time, watching me flounder in deep water.

The staff member at the door asked, “Miss, just you?”

I clenched my fists. “Just me, then.”

The door swung open. Pitch black.

The smell of disinfectant, flashing red lights, mannequins draped in white sheets. Blaire jumped out from a corner.

My feet slipped, and I hit the floor, slamming into the leg of a prop bed.

Lights blazed on. Laughter erupted. “Willa, you’re such a wimp!”

My knee was scraped and my forehead swelled.

I dusted myself off and walked out.

Ethan chased after me. “You mad? Blaire was just trying to help.”

I swallowed the pain and shook my head. “I’m not mad.”

He touched my forehead and smiled. “That’s my good Willa.”

Everyone left.

Ethan was going to take Blaire home.

“Her apartment’s kind of out of the way. She’s scared to go alone. You can grab a cab.”

I looked him in the eye.

“When it comes to Blaire, why don’t you ever think she needs to toughen up?”

He opened his mouth but had no answer.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to chase an answer I already knew.

“Forget it. Just take her.”

When I got home, my mom was on the couch, scrolling her phone with a bowl of popcorn in her lap.

“Did Ethan bring you back?”

“He took Blaire home.”

She tossed a piece back into the bowl.

“Look at you. Pathetic.”

“Think about it—Ethan’s got money, he’s got a solid career. Blaire’s perfect for him. The guy’s out of his mind to even want you, and you’re still not grateful.”

I stared at my mom.

“Mom, Blaire is a better match for Ethan than me. And she’s definitely a better daughter to you than I am.”