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

Ellie's hands clenched into fists as she stared at the reflection in the shattered glass. Victoria's face hovered behind Ben's, her lips so close to his ear it sent a sickening chill down Ellie's spine.

Ben stood frozen, oblivious, but Ellie knew. She knew Victoria was there, whispering her poison, her presence curling around him like smoke.

"Ben, move," Ellie hissed, but he didn't react. His body seemed rigid, his breath shallow, his pupils blown wide.

And then, just as Ellie reached for him—

Ben jerked. His head snapped back slightly, his lips parting. A low, shuddering exhale left his throat, like something had just passed through him.

Her fingers trembled with rage, with something that burned beneath her skin. "You're disgusting," she spat at the air, at the invisible force taunting her. "You're DEAD, Victoria! You can't have him anymore!"

A breath of laughter curled in her ear, so close it sent ice through her veins. "And yet," Victoria purred, "he still responds to me."*

She grabbed the nearest object—her half-empty wine glass—and hurled it against the floor. It shattered, shards flying everywhere, but the room around them remained unchanged. The other restaurant patrons continued talking, drinking, laughing—completely unaware that Ellie was drowning in a nightmare she couldn't escape.

Ben blinked, his body suddenly slack, as if he'd just woken up. "Ellie?" His voice was hoarse, confused. "What just—"

"Don't!"* Her voice cracked, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. "She kissed you, Ben. I saw it. I felt it."*

"You let her in," Ellie whispered, her throat thick with fury and heartbreak. "You let her touch you. Even now, you're still letting her have you."*

Ben's hands twitched at his sides. "I didn't mean to—"

"Stop saying that!" Ellie's vision blurred with angry tears. "You never mean to, but you do. Every single time. And I'm the one who has to fight for something that should already be mine!"

The air around them crackled. The temperature plunged.

Victoria's voice slithered between them like a dagger.

"You were never meant to have him, sweetheart."*

Ellie turned sharply, her breathing ragged. "Then why are you still here?" Her voice shook with rage. "If he's really yours, why do you have to keep stealing him?"

For the first time since this nightmare began—Victoria had no response.

Ellie laughed bitterly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "That's what I thought."*

She turned to Ben, her heart pounding, her voice steadier than before. "You need to choose."*

Ben swallowed hard. "Ellie—"

"No excuses." Her hands curled into fists. "Me or her."*

The air shifted. The candle on the table flickered violently.

Victoria hissed. "He already chose, Ellie. He just won't say it."*

Ben's eyes darted between them, torn, trapped in a war that should've ended long ago.

With one last glance at him—at the man she loved but no longer recognized—she turned and walked away, her heart shattering with every step.

And this time, Ben didn't stop her.

Chapter 29: The Kiss of the Dead