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 barely had time to react before the room spun.

A bone-deep cold surged through her, stabbing into her ribs, her spine, her skull. Her knees buckled, and the world around her dimmed to a shadowy blur.

Ellie's mouth moved without her permission, her lips curving into a slow, knowing smirk.

Her body straightened, her fingers dragging up her arms, as if appreciating herself for the first time. But Ellie wasn't the one moving.

She was inside herself, but she wasn't in control.

Ben's face twisted in shock. "Ellie?"

"Didn't think I could do that, did you?" Her own voice purred, but it wasn't her. It was Victoria.

Ellie screamed inside her own mind, trying to force her limbs to move, but it was like being trapped behind glass. She could see, feel, and hear everything—but she couldn't stop it.

Her hand lifted, running a slow finger down Ben's chest.

"You always loved my touch, Ben."

Ben flinched, stepping back, but there was something in his eyes—something raw. Fear? Desire? Regret?

Ellie burned inside her own skin. This wasn't just possession.

Victoria wasn't just in her body—she was using it against her.

"This body is quite nice, actually," Victoria mused, turning Ellie's head side to side, admiring herself in the mirror. "I think I'll keep it."

Ellie's stomach twisted. No. No, no, no.

Ben's hands shook at his sides. "Let her go, Victoria."

Victoria—inside Ellie—tilted her head, feigning innocence. "But why would I do that? You always said you wanted me back. Here I am."

She took another step toward him, closing the distance.

Ellie screamed inside her own mind, thrashing, clawing, fighting, but her body didn't obey. Instead, it pressed against Ben's chest, their faces inches apart.

"Just say the words, Ben," Victoria whispered through Ellie's lips. "Say you want me. Say you'll give yourself to me, and I'll leave her alone."

Victoria was baiting him.

Ben swallowed hard. His jaw clenched. His breath came out unsteady.

"No!" she screamed inside her mind, but no one heard her.

Victoria smiled through Ellie's face, pressing closer, savoring her victory.

A sharp, electric pain ripped through Ellie's body.

And the last thing she heard before everything went dark—

Chapter 33: A Body Not My Own