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

Ben lunged forward, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. "Take me instead!" His voice cracked, raw with desperation. "Ellie has nothing to do with this! It was me—it was always me!"

The faceless figure didn't move. The shadows curled around Ellie like unseen hands, pulling her closer, consuming her inch by inch. Her eyes—wide, terrified—locked onto Ben's.

"Ben!"* Her voice was barely a whisper, but it shattered something deep inside him.

"Please!"* Ben fell to his knees, gripping the cold ground as if he could hold onto reality itself. "I was the one who left her! I was the coward! I was the one who turned away while Victoria drowned! I should be the one to pay, not Ellie!"* His voice broke, shaking with the weight of his guilt.

Victoria hovered nearby, her ghostly form flickering, but her expression was unreadable—something between anger and uncertainty. She had wanted this, hadn't she? To make him suffer? To see him break?

The faceless entity slowly tilted its head. "The exchange has already begun."*

Ben clenched his fists so tight his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. "Stop it! I don't care about the rules, I'll do anything—just don't take her! Take me! Take my soul, take my body, do whatever the hell you want—just let her go!"*

Ellie gasped, her body trembling violently as an unseen force pressed into her, warping her very essence. Her lips parted in a silent scream.

He lunged again, reaching for her—

But his fingers passed through her skin.

"No, no, no…" He shook his head violently. "Ellie, don't let go! Stay with me, I'll fix this, I swear, I'll—"

"Ben…" Her voice was barely a whisper now.

Ben's vision blurred with tears. "Please!"* His hands shook as he turned toward the faceless figure, toward the creeping shadows, toward Victoria. "Victoria, please! You have to stop this! If there's anything left of you that still loves me, please—please don't let them take her!"

For the first time, something unreadable crossed her ghostly face.

Or was it the cruelest form of justice?

The faceless figure finally moved, raising a hand toward Ellie.

Ellie's body jerked violently—and then she went completely still.

Chapter 49: Ben’s Cries