I was ghosted by an aunt, my mum's younger sister. I was very close to her. My mum died in my early teens and she became a mother figure to me.
She got married again in her 60s and she slowly distanced herself although we met occasionally chatted on the phone. We had a final day out in London and had a great day shopping and having lunch. We parted on friendly and warm terms. That was the last time I saw her.
I rang her a few days later to tell her that a relative on my dad's side had died and she just said, oh really, got to go. A short and abrupt call, offish tone.
I rang her a few times after that. The same short call. I asked her, she said she had to go. I thought maybe it was her husband but he is a nice guy. She had done the same to another sister and a few of her friends way before she met him, so had previous for being quick to slight and falling out with people.
I never heard from her again. Her daughter (who I have never been close to) called me a few years later to tell me she was in intensive care. I was on holiday and she died a day later.
I went to her funeral. Funny after such a long and caring relationship I was relegated to the friends seat at the funeral. Whilst we were waiting for the funeral to start a few of her elderly (bingo!) friends asked me who I was. When I said I was her niece, her friends said she was always talking about you, so proud of you. Which was odd given the ghosting.
I never really processed the loss of her (when she was living). It did hurt but I suppressed it by thinking of her as a bitch. But it did hurt deeply, like losing a mum again.
Sorry for the essay. Never really spoke about it to anybody. But ghosting is a completely shit thing to do. You might have a valid reason but giving that reason gives closure rather than the abyss you are left with when you are ghosted.