“AAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!”

Terror surged through him like a sudden storm. His heart leaped into his throat, and he almost jumped out of his skin as he screamed in terror at the sight of her.

She didn’t move a muscle, clearly unmoved by this display of fright. Her hands rested calmly on the arms of the chair, her posture eerily composed.

He tried to move, but his body felt frozen, pinned under the weight of her gaze.

The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.

“Hello, Mr. Jasper Simpson. So nice to see you. You remember me, right? Your favourite girl in the whole world. Your dear Queenie Lawmann. Queenie Dearest, as you used to call me.”

Jasper could only shiver. He looked both ways, then at her.

Her cold eyes fixated on him, she chuckled. “Isn’t it funny how you’re running away from me now? Remember the days when you were so freaking eager to see me? How… you’d swoop me up as soon as I opened the door for you? Do you remember?”

Jasper’s mouth went dry. He tried to speak, but no words came out. His trembling hands gripped the couch.

She leaned forward. “You know, I still remember the first time we met. Do you? That club in Osu. I was sitting alone at the bar, focused on myself and my miserable little life. You walked in, so full of yourself, acting like you owned the place.”

Jasper felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He did remember. That was the first time he saw her: a gorgeous young woman who he could not pass over just like that.

“You couldn’t take your eyes off me,” Queenie continued. “And you didn’t waste time, either. Walked right up to me and started your little charm routine.” She laughed softly, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. “I found it quite annoying at first; I just wanted to be left alone. But you were relentless, Jasper. So, so relentless. And guess what? I got hooked in.”

He swallowed hard, his throat dry as sandpaper.

“Remember what happened next?” she asked. “After you found out I lived in Prampram? You told me that wouldn’t stop you. I thought, oh, there’s no way this man is serious. I mean, who’s gonna drive through all that traffic? Hah! I was so wrong. I still remember when you called me and told me to meet you at the gate. I couldn’t believe it. You drove all the way from Accra, just to see me.

“And when you held me close… told me how you’d do anything to be by my side… kissed me… I thought, this man is for real. He means every word he says. That’s why I let you in that evening. And from then onwards.”

His mind raced, those memories flooding back. Memories of allowing his hunger for something new and exciting outside wedlock to drive him to relentlessly pursue this young lady.

Queenie smirked. “We had some wild nights, didn’t we? You and me, tangled up in my bed after some heated minutes of passion. You were one hell of a beast, wrecking me in the sweetest ways I could have ever imagined. Every time you came over, I knew I was gonna experience seventh heavens. You really were an amazing lover. But you know, it was more than just the beautiful sex for me. You made me feel… wanted.”

Her voice dipped, becoming more intimate. “You made me believe I wasn’t alone anymore. That I mattered deeply to someone else. I told you how lonely I used to be, how it often felt like the nights would swallow me whole. And you, Jasper—” she paused, her smile growing wider, “you told me you’d never leave me. Remember that?”

Jasper’s entire body trembled now. He couldn’t look away, trapped by her piercing gaze and the vivid memories she conjured. He remembered that night as clearly as if it had just happened.

She had sent him a text that afternoon, asking him to come over. With all the enthusiasm of Cookie Monster in a cookie shop, he set off for Prampram, unperturbed by the stressful traffic. It was about 7:45 PM when he arrived at her home, and she welcomed him in with a deep kiss, leading to a hot episode of their favourite pastime.

It was while they cuddled and spooned after their moments of passion that the promise was made…

“Queenie dearest.”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Have I ever told you I’ve never had this much joy in my entire life?”

“Hahaha, awww, Jasper…”

“Like, honestly. I’m not lying. I just can’t stop coming back to you. You’re just so… incredible. I always think I’ve reached the pinnacle with you, then… I get mind-blown yet again. Good God, Queenie. I can’t get enough of you. You really are a dream come true.”

“Hmmmm. That makes me so happy, Jasper. You know, I might look like a normal, happy young girl, but inside, it’s been nothing but dark clouds and shades of gray. It’s been that way for a long time, to be honest. There are times when the darkness around me gets so overwhelming, I feel I’ll never see the light again. It gets that bad, trust me.

“But… you-you’ve changed so much for me. You’re like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm. I’ve never felt this seen, this understood… this-this wanted. Please, Jasper, promise me you’ll never leave me alone. I love you, more than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone. I need you, not just to survive, but to truly live. Promise me, Jasper, that you’ll always be here, because honestly, without you, I’m scared. I’m scared I might lose myself to the shadows again…”

“Ssshhh, don’t worry, my dearest. I know you need me, and I need you too. Don’t you ever worry. I’m never leaving you. Never. I’m always gonna be here with you. I promise.”

He had meant it in the moment. Or at least, he thought he had.

Oh, who was he kidding? He didn’t. He had been so strung up over how good that evening’s session was, that he got carried away with the emotions.

He stared at her. Her face was no longer serene; it was twisted with a mix of pain and fury.

“I trusted you, Jasper. You made me believe I was worth something to someone. You made me think that I could finally escape the loneliness that had haunted me for years. But all you wanted was to satisfy your selfish desires.”

Jasper grew paler by the minute. He opened his mouth once again, but not a sound emerged from it. What could he say? What excuse could possibly suffice?

She glared at him. “Do you remember the day I told you I was pregnant?”

Jasper flinched as if struck. That was another memory he remembered too vividly. A very unpleasant exchange between them when he came over for some more sweetness, and she rather hit him with the bombshell…

“What? You’re-you’re pregnant? Ugh, I can’t believe this! How… how could this happen?”

“Uhhh… well, we’ve been pretty reckless, haven’t we? You got addicted to not using protection, remember? You said it was sweeter going raw…”

“For God’s sake, Queenie! I can’t do this! I just can’t!”

“Honey, calm down! Relax. We just found out. We can alwa–“

“Calm down for what, Queenie? Calm down for what? I’m married, Queenie! I have a family. I can’t do this!”

“W-w-w-w-wait, Jasper. What? Married? You’re married? But-but you told me you weren’t! You always said you were single!”

“Look, look, forget all that. I don’t have time for this. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this pregnancy. It’s over between us.”

“What? Jasper, Jasper, please, stop playing around–“

“Do I look like I’m joking? I’m serious. I can’t do this. Do you know the kind of disgrace and trouble this will put me in?”

“What? Are you serious right now? After all we’ve done, you’re just walking away?”

“Listen, young woman. I have responsibilities. I can’t let this… this mistake destroy what I have at home. I’m sorry, but this is yours to deal with. I’m not gonna be a part of this. Don’t call me again, you hear me? Goodbye, Queenie.”

Jasper’s head sank into his hands, the flashback hitting him hard. That panic and fear of being exposed as an adulterer had taken quite a hold of him, and he was quick to cut her off.

“You dumped me on the spot. You discarded me like I was nothing. You told me I was a mistake you couldn’t afford to let ruin your life. Do you know what that did to me? To be tossed aside like trash after everything we shared? After you promised me you’d always be there?”

The fury and hurt were thick as she spoke, and Jasper could not argue or rebut a word.

“I spiraled, Jasper. I fell apart once you blocked me. You left me pregnant and alone, with no one to turn to. Do you know what that kind of loneliness does to a person? I didn’t know how to cope. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. At every moment, I felt like the walls were closing in. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was you, walking away without a second thought.”

Jasper’s stomach churned, his guilt ready to swallow him whole.

“And then,” she continued, her tone low and bitter, “I made a mistake. An overdose. I just wanted the pain to stop for a little while. But it was too much. It killed me. And that’s why I’m here now. And you know what hurts even more? What makes me want to tear you apart right now?”

Jasper couldn’t breathe, his chest heaving with shallow gasps as he wondered what else she had to say.

“You didn’t even grieve for me!” she spat. “You didn’t take responsibility for what you did. Instead, you simply chalked my death up as the result of ‘youthful foolishness and recklessness.’ You reduced me to nothing but a cautionary tale.”

Jasper’s eyes widened, horror etched into every line of his face. Indeed, that was what he had said when the news of her death broke, and social media spread it around. It was the reason Marjorie called him a mean man; she had felt bad for Queenie, and in a bid to push the guilt and memories away, took a hardline approach when she discussed it with him.

Never would he have imagined she would catch wind of this. Now that she had, he felt beyond awful.

Queenie shook her head. “I deserved better,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “My child deserved better.”

His head down, Jasper felt horrible. He now understood what this was.

This was the ghost of a woman deeply hurt by his lies and betrayal, a soul seeking not just acknowledgment but atonement for the life she could no longer live.

Well, what do you know? Jasper’s not so innocent. Took advantage of a depressed young lady and used her as a sex toy. That’s shameful…