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 room was still—too still. The candles had long since been snuffed out, their smoke curling into the cold, suffocating air. Ellie's breath came in shallow gasps as she gripped the edge of the table, her fingers icy and numb.

Victoria had not just entered the room.

Ben sat rigid beside Ellie, his face blank, his eyes clouded—almost unfocused. Like he was hearing something that no one else could.

The medium, however, was unshaken. She exhaled slowly, her voice steady as she murmured, "She's already inside."

Ellie's stomach dropped. "Inside?"

The medium's gaze didn't waver. "She's taking him."

A shadow moved across the room, curling around Ben like a serpent. Victoria's voice slithered through the darkness. "Did you really think you could banish me, Ellie?"

Ellie's heart slammed against her ribs. "Get out of him!"

Victoria laughed. "But why would I? I belong here. I always have."

Ben's body jerked. His head snapped toward Ellie, but his eyes—his eyes weren't his anymore.

His lips curled, but the smirk wasn't his. "He's mine now, sweetheart."*

This wasn't just haunting anymore.

Ben's hand twitched, his fingers flexing like he was testing them—like they weren't his to control. Then, in one swift motion, he reached across the table and gripped Ellie's wrist.

The cold that flooded through her skin wasn't human. It was death.

"Let me go!" she gasped, trying to pull away, but his grip was unrelenting.

The medium slammed her palm onto the table. "Victoria! You have no claim to this body!*"

Ben's—Victoria's—head tilted. "No claim?" A sick, twisted chuckle escaped his lips. "He gave himself to me. He invited me back. And now?"

Ben's other hand reached up, brushing against Ellie's cheek.

"Now I think I'll keep him."*

Ellie snapped. "Like hell you will!"

With all her strength, she yanked herself free and shoved him—no, her—backward. Ben's body stumbled, crashing against the chair.

But Victoria wasn't deterred.

"You don't understand, do you?" she purred, tilting Ben's head as she stood. "You thought this was a battle for his heart?" Her smile was cruel. "Oh, Ellie."

"This was always about his soul."*

Because for the first time since this nightmare started, she believed her.

Chapter 26: Possession Is the Ninth-Tenth of the Law