Falling For My Dead Husband's Ghost

The rain was a relentless drumming against the windows of the Maybach, a sound that vibrated deep in Amelie Glass's bones. Each drop that slid down the black-tinted glass felt like a countdown.

The car slowed to a stop. Through the blur of water, she saw it. The Hyde family mausoleum. It wasn't a tomb; it was a cathedral of the dead, a monument of marble and granite that clawed at the midnight sky, grand and grotesque. This was to be her home.

The driver's door opened and closed. A moment later, her own door was pulled open. A black umbrella shielded her from the downpour.

"Welcome to your new home, Mrs. Hyde."

The voice belonged to Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper. It was a voice without temperature, flat and cold as the marble facade before them. Her face was a mask of stern lines, her eyes like chips of ice.

Amelie's stomach twisted into a knot so tight it stole her breath. She took the offered umbrella, her fingers brushing against Mrs. Gable's gloved hand. There was no warmth there. Of course there wasn't.

She stepped out of the car, her thin black silk dress instantly feeling inadequate against the damp chill. She followed the housekeeper up the sweeping stone steps to a pair of massive, ornate doors.

Mrs. Gable produced a heavy, old-fashioned key. The lock turned with a groan that echoed in the stormy silence.

The interior was cavernous and cold. In the center of the room, bathed in a soft, ethereal blue light, was a futuristic-looking cryogenic preservation pod.

"According to the agreement, you will remain here to hold vigil for Mr. Byron Hyde for 365 days," Mrs. Gable stated, her voice echoing slightly in the vast space. "This is the sole condition for your brother, Leo, to receive the best medical and legal protection."

Amelie's gaze was fixed on the small metal plate on the side of the pod.

BYRON HYDE.

Followed by the dates of his birth and his death.

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold snaked its way up her spine. She had married a dead man.

Mrs. Gable gestured towards a small, recessed area to the side. It was furnished sparsely: a narrow bed, a small table, and a door that presumably led to a bathroom. It was a cell, decorated in shades of grief.

"Your duties are companionship and absolute obedience. Food will be delivered once a day. Do not attempt to leave. The security system was designed by former Mossad agents."

The warning was delivered with the same lack of emotion as the welcome.

Amelie just nodded. For Leo, she would endure anything. She had to.

"I will leave you now."

Mrs. Gable turned and walked away, her heels clicking on the polished stone floor. The heavy doors swung shut behind her, the sound of the lock turning again, a final, deafening boom that severed Amelie from the world.

She was alone.

The only light came from the cryogenic pod, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of lilies and something else, something sterile and chemical.

She curled up on the narrow bed, pulling a thin blanket around her shoulders. The wind howled outside, a mournful cry that seemed to seep through the stone. She felt like a sacrifice, left on an altar for a god who was no longer there.

Hours passed. Exhaustion warred with fear, a heavy, suffocating weight on her chest. Her eyelids grew heavy. She was drifting, sinking into a shallow, restless sleep when she felt it.

A sudden drop in temperature. A cold so profound it felt like it was coming from inside her.

Her eyes snapped open.

The room was darker now. The blue light from the pod seemed dimmer.

She felt a presence. A prickling on the back of her neck. The undeniable sensation of being watched.

Slowly, she turned her head.

A tall, dark figure stood silently by her bed.

A scream built in her throat, hot and sharp, but it died before it could make a sound. It was as if an invisible hand had clamped down on her windpipe.

The silhouette was stark against the faint glow. Broad shoulders, a lean frame. It was shockingly similar to the man in the photographs she had been shown. The man in the pod. Byron Hyde.

It's his ghost, her mind screamed. He's come back. A vengeful spirit, angry that a substitute bride, a girl from a bankrupt family, has sullied his name.

The shadow leaned down.

An icy breath, smelling of expensive whiskey and sandalwood, washed over her cheek.

Her body was frozen, pinned to the mattress by a force she couldn't comprehend. It was pure, undiluted terror.

Then, his hand was on her.

The thin silk of her dress was torn apart with an ease that was terrifying. His fingers, calloused and shockingly warm, traced a path over her trembling skin.

This wasn't a ghost.

Ghosts weren't warm. Ghosts didn't breathe. Ghosts didn't have hands that felt so horribly, terrifyingly real.

The realization didn't lessen the fear; it twisted it into something new, something worse. She was trapped in a tomb with a living, breathing monster.

She was powerless, a doll in the hands of an unseen force. The assault was brutal, silent, and humiliating. She squeezed her eyes shut, digging her nails into her own palms until they bled, focusing on the small, sharp pain to distract from the overwhelming violation.

And then, as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone.

The cold air hit her exposed skin. The only evidence of his presence was her torn dress, the ache in her body, and the lingering scent of whiskey and sandalwood.

Amelie curled into a tight ball, shaking uncontrollably. She didn't know if she had been awake or asleep, if it was a nightmare or a reality too horrific to process.

The sun had not yet risen when the heavy door creaked open again.

Mrs. Gable entered, carrying a tray with breakfast. Her eyes swept over the scene-the tangled sheets, Amelie's torn dress, the raw marks on her skin-and her expression didn't flicker. There was no surprise. Not a hint of it.

"It seems the master's spirit has accepted you," the housekeeper said, her voice as cold as the morning.

"That wasn't a ghost," Amelie rasped, her voice raw and broken.

A small, cruel smile touched the corner of Mrs. Gable's lips. "In Hyde Manor, there are things you are not meant to understand. It is better not to try."

She placed the tray on the table.

"Be compliant. And remember your brother's life is in your hands."

The door closed, and Amelie was alone again, plunged into a fear far deeper than the supernatural. She wasn't being haunted by a ghost. She was being tormented by a secret, and everyone here was in on it.