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 silence between Ellie and Ben was thick, almost suffocating. The question hung in the air, a sharp blade waiting to cut.

Ben swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he avoided her gaze. "Ellie… I—"

"Don't lie." Ellie's voice came out steadier than she expected. "What did you promise her?"

A gust of wind rattled the windows. Victoria was still here, watching, waiting.

Ben ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "It was… before she died." His voice cracked. "I told her I'd never love anyone the way I loved her. That I'd always belong to her."

A brutal, invisible force twisted in her chest.

Victoria's laughter slithered through the room, low and taunting. "See, Ellie? He was never yours to begin with."

Ellie clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. "And you never thought to tell me this before I fell in love with you?"

Ben's eyes snapped up, desperate, guilty. "I didn't think it mattered. She was gone, Ellie. I thought I could move on."

"But she didn't let you, did she?" Ellie's voice wavered. "And now I'm just… what? A consolation prize?"

Ben's silence was louder than any answer he could've given.

A sudden chill wrapped around Ellie's body, an icy touch skimming her neck, her shoulder—Victoria.

"You feel that, Ellie?" Victoria whispered, her presence pressing against her like an unwanted embrace. "That's me taking back what's mine."

The room dimmed, the overhead light flickering violently. Ben's breath hitched, his eyes darting to Ellie, then to the empty space beside her.

"She doesn't own me," Ben whispered, but even Ellie could hear the doubt in his voice.

Victoria's laughter rang out, cruel and victorious. "Oh, sweetheart. You gave yourself to me. I'm just… collecting."

The air grew thick with unseen energy, pulsing between them, and suddenly—

His eyes rolled back, his breath hitching as an unseen force wrapped around him like an invisible lover. His fingers twitched, his lips parting as if being kissed by something neither of them could see.

Ellie stepped back, horror mixing with something she hated to admit—jealousy.

Because even in death, Victoria still had a hold on him.

Chapter 32: The Promise That Shouldn’t Exist