Leona’s Last Fourth of July as a Ghost Every year, I put my whole heart into our Fourth of July celebration. I cook, clean, decorate every inch of the house. I prepare for guests like I’m hosting the President. And every single year, I end up standing in the background while my husband, Joel, basks in all the praise like he built the whole thing himself. But this year? This year, something snapped—and it wasn’t just the fireworks. Our home always becomes the place for Joel’s big family celebration. He

My house used to be spotless when it was just me and my husband. Everything was neat, clean, and peaceful. But then everything changed the moment his best friend came to stay with us. Fights and clashes started happening all the time. What hurt the most was that my husband didn’t seem to care how I felt or about all the stress I was going through. It was a tough time, but everything finally came right — when I decided to take matters into my own hands. It all began

THE TOOTHBRUSH THAT RUINED EVERYTHING I was doing laundry on a quiet Wednesday afternoon, humming to myself, when I reached into the hamper and pulled out Ethan’s navy blue suit. It smelled like our usual lavender detergent, mixed with that familiar sandalwood cologne he always wore. I gave the jacket a little shake, expecting the usual — a receipt, a pen, maybe some loose change. But instead, something heavier fell out of the inside pocket and hit the tile floor with a soft thud. I looked down and blinked. A