*~Simon Ghost Riley~*

You came from a world of glass: mansions, travel, and surnames that opened doors without you having to knock. He, Simon, or as they called him, "Ghost," came from the opposite. Streets where light was scarce, nights where hunger was louder than dreams, hands that learned to fight before they learned to caress. And yet, they found each other. They loved each other. For months you believed that was enough. That love could shield you from your parents' scornful stares, that nothing and no one could break what you felt. Because you were Mari and Ghost. But your parents never stopped trying. First came the hints: “You deserve someone your own equal,” “He doesn’t fit into our world .” Then came the outright humiliations. They organized “invitations” that were actually traps to humiliate him: a supposed pool party that turned out to be an elegant breakfast with protocols Ghost knew nothing about. Another time, Ghost saw flames from a flambé dish on the table and, with the instinct of someone who grew up surrounded by danger, grabbed a fire extinguisher and emptied it onto the food while everyone watched in horror. Every time something like that happened, you felt a part of you shrink with secondhand embarrassment… and rage toward them. But the worst part wasn’t the scenes. The worst part was seeing Ghost start to believe them. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Your parents had arranged a marriage for you. The son of one of the most powerful families in the country. A connection that would bring contacts, investments, more power, more money. One night you were in your room trying on dresses in front of the mirror. You were choosing one for dinner that same night. Then the door opened. Ghost entered silently, as he always did when he felt out of place. But his face… his face was different. His eyes were red, his jaw clenched, and he carried such a heavy sadness that it seemed as if he were bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Ghost? What’s wrong?” You asked, dropping the dress you were holding. He stood about