leave (one) in the lurch
To leave or abandon one without assistance in a particularly awkward, difficult, or troublesome situation. The manager will really leave me in the lurch if he decides to quit before this project is finished. When Janet's husband decided to go on a weekend getaway with his friends, he left her in the lurch organizing her kid's birthday party.
leave somebody in the ˈlurch
(informal) leave somebody who is in a difficult situation and needs your help: You can’t resign now and leave us all in the lurch. It wouldn’t be fair.