In the Horrifying Apocalypse, I Was Forcibly Married by the Ghost King

I was getting married, but not to the living. I was marrying a dead man.

My mom, brother, and sister-in-law crashed the ceremony, screaming that I'd lost my mind. Little did they know, in a month, the world would end, swallowed by monstrous horrors. And me? Marrying the leader of these horrors would make me the most powerful being in this broken world.

I'd be able to command the horrors, decide who lived and who died.

You see, I lived through this once before. I risked everything to save my family. And how did they thank me? They tied me up, drained my blood D human blood being the only thing that could repel the horrors, buy you time to escape D and then, as I lay dying, they tossed me to the monsters.

I was ripped apart, devoured, my last moments filled with regret. Then, I woke up a month before it all began.

This time, they would pay.

...

I stared at my reflection, tears streaming down my face. My relief was short-lived. The phone rang. Caller ID: Mom. The woman who condemned me to die.

Taking a deep breath, I answered. Her cheerful voice grated on my ears. "Honey, your sister-in-law's pregnant! We're cramped here. You're alone in that city apartment, right? Why not rent a place for a while and let her stay there?"

The same lie as last time. Theyd take the apartment, then fake a miscarriage, blaming the stress of moving. I'd felt so guilty, so responsible.

But Jenny, my so-called best friend and sister-in-law, wasn't pregnant. They just wanted my apartment. Their logic? I'd get married eventually; my things shouldnt go to some "outsider."

Mom's voice sharpened. "So it's settled. Bring the keys over."

A cold smile touched my lips. "Mom, that apartment won't do."

She shrieked, "What do you mean? Ashley, what are you playing at?"

"It's too small for the baby," I soothed. "I should buy them a bigger place. I wouldn't want my nephew cramped. Don't worry, I'll cover it."

Moms delighted laughter filled the line. "That's my girl! Always so thoughtful."

My smile widened, but the warmth didnt reach my eyes. Thoughtful, yes. But not for them. Not anymore.

I hung up and started planning. How could I survive this time? Then, I remembered. The woman who'd saved me from the horrors moments before my family betrayed me. Nancy, from my old hometown. Her family was so poor, theyd married her off to a dead man D a ghost marriage.

Nancy told me that when the horrors came, she discovered she had powers like them. Her ghost marriage protected her, gave her control.

I clenched my fists. I'd do the same.

I emptied my safe. Only $2,000 and the apartment. My parents and brother had systematically drained my savings. Fury boiled inside me. A top-performing sales manager, reduced to this? How blind I had been!

I transferred the cash onto a card and called Mark, a friend who worked in mortgage lending. I told him I needed to borrow against my apartment.

"Ashley, everything okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Sort of," I replied. "I need the money fast. Three days, possible?"

"For an old friend, anything. I'll expedite it."

He pushed through the loan, $80,000 wired to my account. A stranger was kinder than my own family.

Explaining my rebirth was impossible. I could only offer a cryptic warning. "Things are going to get rough, Mark. Stock up on food and supplies. Something for self-defense, too."

He nodded, and I said no more.

I drove to Oakhaven, Nancy's hometown. I found the matchmaker, Mrs. Henderson, whod arranged Nancys ghost marriage, rocking on her porch.

"Well now, dearie, what can I do for you?" she beamed.

"I want a ghost marriage," I stated.

Mrs. Henderson's smile broadened. "Why, that's my specialty! Who's the lucky fella?"

"Me," I said, meeting her gaze. "I'm marrying myself to a ghost."

Her rocking stopped. "You're... marrying yourself?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Henderson frowned. "Been a matchmaker for decades, never heard of such a thing."

I slapped a debit card on the table. "0-00,000. Arrange the marriage, it's yours."

Her eyes widened, then she checked the balance on my banking app. She let out a whoop and did a little jig.

I coughed awkwardly. Mrs. Hendersons face flushed. "Country folk, never seen that much money"

"Don't celebrate yet. One month. The marriage needs to be complete. Can you do it?"

She bit her lip. "I'll move heaven and earth for you, dearie."

I dropped another bombshell. "I've already chosen the groom."

Her eyes lit up. "Which departed gentleman caught your eye?"

I pointed to the gnarled oak tree at the edge of town. "He's under that tree."

Mrs. Henderson paled. "The Shadow King? The horror under the old oak?"

I transferred another 0-00,000, then another, and another, until the total reached $30,000.

Finally, she croaked, "Alright, I'll do it."

I added another $20,000. "For the wedding. Marrying a king, even a ghost king, needs a certain flair. The best of everything."

Mrs. Henderson snatched the card. "Consider it done."

"One more thing," I said. "I need a million paper dolls."

"Why, that's fortunate! My nephew, Ethan, makes those. Inherited his daddy's craft."

She called him, and a young man soon arrived.

"Ethan, I need a million paper dolls," I said.

"A million?" he squeaked.

Mrs. Henderson whispered fiercely to him, and he looked back at me, a complex expression on his face.

"A month, you said?"

I nodded.

"That's... impossible. I can't make that many."

"Just have them by then," I said. "Subcontract, buy wholesale, I don't care. But they all need eyes. Drawn on."

He frowned. "You can't draw eyes on paper dolls."

"You just make them," I said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Do what the client says," Mrs. Henderson hissed.

I sweetened the deal. "0-00,000 bonus if you deliver."

Mrs. Henderson practically vibrated with eagerness. Ethan finally agreed. He offered a bulk discount - two million dollars for the lot. I paid him the 0-00,000 upfront and promised the rest in a week. He rushed off to get started.

Leaving Oakhaven, I stared at my remaining $22,000. How could I make 0-0,880,000 so fast? My phone rang. Jenny.

Speak of the devil. I estimated theyd swindled me out of at least that much over the years.

"Ashley! Mom said you're buying us a house!" Jenny squealed.

"Of course," I said warmly. "Youre carrying our family's heir! You deserve the best."

"Oh, you shouldn't have! But for the baby thank you!"

I could practically hear her preening through the phone. We arranged to meet at the realtors office.

Mom, David, and Jenny were waiting, beaming. They piled into my car.

"Ashley, I must have been a saint in my past life to deserve such a daughter!" Mom declared.

"Nah, Mom, I was the saint," David chuckled. "Look how much Ashley loves her nephew!"

Jenny simpered. "I'm so lucky. Ashley's not just my sister-in-law, she's my best friend! From college, remember?"

Mom beamed at them, the picture of familial bliss. I smiled, a chill behind my eyes. Family. Id risked my life for them. And theyd tied me up and offered me as a sacrifice. Their faces, twisted with greed and fear, would forever haunt my nightmares.

We arrived at the realtor's.

"Ashley, is this Meadowbrook Estates? These houses are a fortune!" David gasped.

"Only the best for my nephew," I said smoothly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw their faces light up with avarice.

"Two houses," I told the realtor. "Side-by-side. Price is no object."

The realtors eyes gleamed. She presented two brochures. "These fit the bill perfectly. Just over a million each, a steal!"

"Perfect," I said.

Jenny whispered, "Two houses?"

I smiled at Mom. "One for my nephew, and one for my wonderful mother. I can't leave her out, can I?"

Mom fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh, honey, such a grand house for an old woman like me"

"Don't be silly, Mom!" Jenny scolded. "Accept Ashley's gift! You'll hurt her feelings."

Mom sighed dramatically. "Ashley, you're too good to me."

David eyed me. "Where did you get this kind of money, Ash?"

Mom and Jenny looked at me expectantly.

I hesitated. "It's confidential. We signed NDAs."

"Aw, come on, Ash. We're family," David wheedled.

"Yeah, honey, family," Mom echoed. "Share the wealth."

I bit my lip. "Okay, but swear you'll keep it quiet. A friend got me into this investment opportunity. Triple your money."

David's jaw dropped. "Triple? Holy moly!"

Mom practically vibrated with greed.

Jenny frowned. "Are you sure this is legit? Sounds like a scam."

The realtor returned with the paperwork and a card reader. "Ms. Davis, I've reserved the properties. 0-00,000 deposit on each, and the balance due in two weeks." She paused. "Whose names go on the deeds?"

I swiped my card for $20,000. "One for my mother, and one for my brother and his wife."

Jennys eyes bulged.

On the drive back, David and Jenny whispered conspiratorially. As I parked, Jenny spoke.

"Ashley, David and I want in on that investment."

I frowned. "It's closed, Jenny. No more investors."

"Put it in your name then!" David insisted.

"The allocations are fixed," I protested.

Jenny transferred 0-000,000 to my account. "Please, Ashley?"

Mom chimed in, transferring another 0-000,000. "Make me rich, honey!"

I sighed. "Fine."

They erupted in cheers, already spending their imagined windfall. I lowered my gaze, my eyes burning with hatred. Their joy wouldn't last long.

The next morning, I transferred the remaining $2 million to Ethan. He was a whirlwind of activity, paper dolls flying everywhere.

I was running out of time. I went to work and asked for an advance on my salary, just in case.

Finally, everything was in place.

Late at night, I donned the elaborate wedding dress and shoes the local women had spent a month painstakingly creating. Mrs. Henderson, all business now, applied my bridal makeup.

When I was ready, she led me to the oak tree. She snapped off a twig from a branch favored by the crows and placed it in my hands. A murder of crows circled overhead three times before cawing and flying away.

In a strange sing-song voice, Mrs. Henderson chanted, "Ashley Davis, freely gives herself to the Shadow King. Rejoice in this union, blessed be this night. By the power vested in me, I bind you, with ribbon and vow."

I tied a red ribbon around the twig. Mrs. Henderson produced a jar of black liquid and dabbed it on my forehead and the twig.

"The ritual is complete," she shrieked, then gasped for breath, her clothes soaked with sweat. She scurried away.

As she spoke, I felt a strange connection, a bond forming between me and the twig. I clutched it tightly and sat beneath the oak tree all night, as instructed.

The next morning, I tucked the twig into my dress and drove to Willow Creek, the small town bordering Oakhaven where my family now waited. They stared at me, mouths agape.

"Ashley, what is this?" David roared.

"This isn't the 'important business event' you mentioned," Jenny added, her voice shrill.

Mom just pointed, trembling. "Honey, are you"

"Moms right," I grinned. "I just got ghost-married."

Ignoring their shock, I turned to the assembled townsfolk, whom I'd hired with my parents' money.

"Let's begin."

They started throwing paper dolls into a massive pit I'd had them dig. Someone tossed in a lit torch. The dolls erupted in flames.

My family watched, speechless.

Ashley, are you insane? David finally exploded. Give us our money back! Or well call the cops! This is crazy!

I pointed to the inferno. Your money? Its right there.

Davids face twisted. What are you talking about?

I giggled. Look how many paper dolls I could buy! Such a bargain!

Mom fainted. David lunged at me, but I dodged. The townsfolk restrained him as he cursed and yelled.

But its my money, I said coldly. Im just taking back what you stole.

Jenny glared at me. Youre so manipulative! Whos going to take care of you in your old age now? You said you'd never marry after after what happened with Daniel.

I touched the twig beneath my dress and ignored her, watching the paper dolls burn.

The fire raged for a day and a night.

As the last doll turned to ash, the world ended.