MARY_OMONOWA

Modern dating is already a minefield, but nothing could have prepared Ellie for falling into a twisted love triangle with a ghost. When her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Ben, starts mumbling secrets to thin air and even forgets their anniversary, Ellie knows something is horribly off. Her worst fears come crashing down when she discovers that Victoria—Ben’s dashing, dead ex—is back from the grave, haunting him with a toxic mix of unresolved passion and vengeful unfinished business.

Determined not to lose the man she loves, Ellie embarks on a wild, chaotic journey to outwit this lovesick specter. As she digs deeper into Victoria’s murky past, Ellie uncovers a shocking truth: the ghost’s jealousy is only part of the nightmare. Victoria isn’t just stalking Ben—she’s trapped in an eternal limbo, doomed to suffer unless someone frees her from her own bitter chains. And now, Ellie must face the impossible challenge of saving not just her relationship, but a tortured soul from beyond the grave.

In this surreal battle where romance collides with the supernatural and dark humor, Ellie is forced to ask the unthinkable: Can love really transcend death, or is she doomed to become nothing more than an awkward, unwitting third wheel in a paranormal romance that defies all natural laws?

The ghost who stole my man

The apartment felt heavier. Like the air had thickened, weighed down by something sinister and alive, even though its source was dead.

Ellie sat on the edge of the bed, her mind reeling, her throat still burning from Victoria's unseen grip. Across the room, Ben stood tense, his face unreadable.

She had asked him a simple question.

And he still hadn't answered.

"Did you love her more than me, Ben?"

Victoria's laughter drifted through the dimly lit space, mocking, taunting.

"Oh, Ellie," she purred. "You're not asking the real question."

Ellie's blood ran cold. "Shut up, Victoria."

"The real question," the ghost continued, voice sickly sweet, "is does he still love me?"

Ellie's heart pounded. She looked at Ben—really looked at him.

And for the first time, she saw it.

Her stomach clenched. "Ben…"

"Ellie—" He reached for her, but she jerked away. "It's not like that!"

Victoria giggled. "Oh, sweetheart, it's exactly like that."

Ellie shot up from the bed, her anger a wildfire consuming her fear. "You bitch!"

"Aww, poor Ellie," Victoria cooed. "Did you really think you could replace me?"

"I wasn't trying to replace you!" Ellie snapped. "I just wanted to live my life with Ben!"

Victoria's laughter turned cold. "Your life?" she sneered. "You think you deserve this life?"

A gust of freezing wind slammed into Ellie, knocking her back onto the bed.

Ben rushed forward. "Victoria, stop!"

"Why?" she whispered, suddenly right behind him. "Are you scared you'll like it?"

Ellie saw it again—the way his body reacted to her, the way his breath hitched.

Victoria's touch was invisible, but its effects were not.

Ellie felt sick. "Ben, move away from her!"

Ben tried—but his body froze.

A soft, ghostly moan escaped from his lips as Victoria's presence wrapped around him like a phantom lover.

Ellie watched in horror as Ben shuddered, his fingers curling into fists, his jaw tightening like he was fighting something.

"She still feels familiar, doesn't she?" Victoria whispered against his ear.

Victoria laughed—but this time, it wasn't just mocking.

"Oh, Ellie," she sighed, "I don't need to keep him. He already belongs to me."

And with a final, chilling giggle, she vanished.

The weight in the air lifted. The temperature rose.

Ben collapsed, gasping, his body trembling like he'd just run a marathon.

Ellie stood frozen, rage and betrayal warring in her chest. "Tell me the truth, Ben."

He looked up at her, eyes wild, his lips slightly parted.

The words hit harder than any ghost's touch ever could.

Ellie felt something inside her break.

Victoria might have disappeared for now.

But the real haunting had only just begun.

Chapter 15: Love, Lies, and the Dead