I Am Never Your Appendage

It was the third year of my self-imposed exile in the wilderness, living on a deserted island to keep Silas company, far away from human society.

His severe autism made the world a hostile place for him. He still only tolerated my presence, refusing to let anyone else set foot on the shore. He remained the same as he had always been: expressionless, quiet, and completely averse to any form of physical contact.

Until today, when the tide washed a woman onto our beach.

By the time I found them, his face was flushed red with embarrassment as he desperately pressed his lips to hers, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Over the next two weeks, I watched him lead her through every corner of the sanctuary we had built with our own hands.

"This is the shelter. I tore it down and rebuilt it seven times."

"This is the garden. We grow lettuce and cucumbers here."

"This is where we fish. The water purifier is kept here too."

Finally, sitting under the glow of the campfire, he looked at her with a depth of emotion I had never seen and asked, "Sherry, the world out there is filthy. Stay here with me, okay?"

I stared blankly at the sudden warmth in Silass face, a bitter, hollow ache spreading through my chest.

In that moment, I finally understood.

Someone had actually succeeded in breaking through his shell.

But that person wasn't me.

Sherry ignored Silas, turning her head to look at me instead.

"Lyra, why are you so quiet?"

I sat on a log, preparing to speak, but Silas cut in with sudden, desperate urgency.

"What is it about this place that you don't like? I can have the Harrisons remodel the entire island. A massive villa with a swimming pool? A beautiful botanical garden? Just name it."

Silas had always loved the raw state of nature, detesting any form of modern technology that could corrupt the environment.

Before we came to the island, his grandfather had insisted on building a sturdy concrete house for us. Silas had rejected the offer flatly.

Shortly after we arrived, the rainy season hit. My clothes were perpetually damp, clinging to my skin. By the tenth day of a raging fever, I didn't even have the strength to stand.

Yet, all Silas had said back then was, "Once the shelter is built, it will be better."

Sherry let out a soft laugh. "Silas, you already have Lyra here to keep you company. Why would I stay? Besides, I get the feeling she dislikes me. I don't think she wants me here."

Silas frowned, turning his head to glare at me with cold accusation.

"You hate her?"

Before I could even attempt to explain, he turned back to Sherry, his eyes fixed on her with an eager intensity.

"This is my island. Don't you know who the Harrisons are? We are the wealthiest family in the country."

He was practically desperate to display his fortune, showing off his lineage like a peacock fanning its feathers.

Suddenly, it felt as though a clump of wet cotton was wedged in my throat.

It had taken me ten long years of patience to understand Silass habits and his way of speaking.

Sherry had demolished all of it in just two weeks.

Over the past few days, Silas had initiated twenty-seven satellite calls to his grandfather. Every single one of them was for Sherry's sake.

Helicopters, which he usually despised for their loud engines, began arriving one after another. They brought fresh cakes, gourmet milk tea, and even luxury clothes and designer jewelry. They erected one elaborate, high-end tent after another on the beach, all reserved exclusively for her.

I blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.

I simply couldn't believe Silas could fall for someone this easily.

The satellite phone vibrated in my pocket. I stood up silently and walked a short distance away to answer it.

It was his grandfather, Charles Harrison.

Lately, he had been calling every day to ask about Silas's condition, and I had reported everything to him honestly.

Charles let out a booming laugh over the receiver. "Lyra, my boy Silas wants to keep Sherry on the island! Hes actually in love! I can't believe how blunt he is when he tries to win a girl over!"

His voice carried the same excited warmth as the time he first saw Silas kiss me.

That had happened right after we finished building our very first crude shelter, which was so poorly made it leaked when it rained. Silas had been so ecstatic he spun me around three times and pressed a quick, clumsy kiss to my lips. My heart had nearly stopped beating in that moment.

The old man on the line paused suddenly, realizing that I was still Silass fiance. His tone quickly shifted to one of quiet comfort.

"Lyra, I know Silas used to care for you deeply. He used to accompany you to the hospital every single day just to be near you. And when you two got into that car accident, he nearly lost his life trying to shield you. But love is a strange thing; it has no rhyme or reason. Maybe what he felt for you was just the affection of a sibling. If he truly loves Sherry, we should dissolve the engagement. I will compensate you, of course. Ill officially adopt you as his sister."

I remembered when Charles had held my hand years ago, telling me how grateful he was to have me, wishing I could stay by Silass side forever.

"Grandfather," I said softly, "the medical expenses your family pays for my mothers treatment are more than enough. Ill stay for another two weeks. If... if things don't change, I will leave the island on my own."

I was ten years old when I first met Silas.

He had always rejected everyone, but for some reason, he would sit quietly in my mothers hospital room, listening to me babble happily about school.

When Charles discovered this, he immediately transferred my leukemia-stricken mother to a private wing and hired the best specialists.

In exchange, I became Silass shadow.

We ate together, studied together, and played together. He hated speaking, so I did all the talking. He couldn't fit in with our classmates, so I constantly explained his behavior to others, shielding him from their cold, mocking stares.

We had made a pact back then: if he managed to finish university, I would accompany him to a deserted island to escape the world for five years.

But now, it was clear he no longer needed me.

These days, he guided Sherry to every corner of the island, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her, leaving no space for me to join them.

Helicopters now flew in three times a day, delivering whatever Sherry wanted to eat, drink, or play with. They even transported two tons of purified water daily just so she could take comfortable showers. The plans for the villa, the pool, and the garden had already been laid out.

Meanwhile, our small garden had been completely dug up by the workers.

Those fruits and vegetables we had nurtured so carefully were tossed to the side, left to rot in the dirt.

The mechanical roar of construction equipment was constant. Normally, Silas would have flown into a violent, shaking rage at such noise, requiring hours of gentle soothing from me to calm down. But now, he endured the discomfort willingly just to stay by her side, relaying her demands to the architects, revising the blueprints for the eight-hundredth time.

His eyes remained filled with absolute indulgence whenever he looked at her.

At night, Sherry would blast loud music that echoed across the entire island, pulling Silas to dance with her around the campfire.

She would squeeze his chest, laughing. "Silas, youre incredibly handsome. Youre in better shape than most movie stars."

With a sly smile, her fingers slid slowly down past his waistband.

His throat bobbed, but he didn't pull away.

I couldn't watch any longer and turned to leave, but the sound of a dry branch snapping under my foot betrayed my presence.

Their eyes snapped toward me.

Silas stiffened, while Sherry remained draped over him like a vine.

I didn't expect him to run after me, but he did, grabbing my wrist with a tight, frustrated grip. His brow was furrowed, his voice laced with irritation.

"What are you doing? The island is huge. Do you have to keep stalking us?"

"You put bugs in Sherrys food, left a snake in her tent, and falsely accused her of pushing you into the sea. What are you planning to do this time?"

It felt as if my heart was being squeezed by a cold hand.

"Ive explained to you a dozen times, I didn't do any of those things," I said, looking up to meet his eyes. "Silas, Ive already told your grandfather. Im leaving in two weeks."

But Silas only saw my departure as a childish tantrum.

"Are you unhappy with the lifestyle here now? If you prefer the primitive way, you can keep living like that. But Sherry is a celebrity, shes different from you. Shes used to being pampered. The fact that shes willing to live on an isolated island is already incredible."

I opened my mouth, but the rest of my words died in my throat. I slowly pried his fingers off my wrist and forced a small, tired smile.

"Silas, youve fallen for her."

He froze, his scowl deepening.

"I haven't. I was just dancing with her. I know youre my fiance. Ill keep my promise and marry you when we turn twenty-five. Can you stop being so suffocating?"

He was a man of very few words. In the past, I would say ten sentences and he would reply with one. Now, he was talking more than he ever had, yet he was accusing me of being suffocating.

And all of it was because of Sherry.

An overwhelming exhaustion washed over me. As I turned to walk away, Silas yanked my arm, throwing me off balance.

I fell forward, a sharp rock jutting out directly in front of my face. I gasped, reaching back instinctively to grab him for support, but he let go.

Sherry had tripped behind him. He lunged past me, catching her securely in his arms.

I slammed hard against the sharp rock. A deep gash tore across my forehead, and warm blood began to trickle down my face.

I looked up through the crimson haze, only to see him looking frantically at Sherry.

"Sherry, are you hurt?"

Sherry shook her head, her face pale as she looked at Silas. "Silas, I don't want to cause any more misunderstandings between you two. Maybe I should be the one to leave."

I clutched my bleeding forehead. Silas didn't give me so much as a passing glance, his words slipping out without hesitation.

"Ill have her leave the island so she can calm down."

My tears mixed with the blood dripping down my cheek. In that moment, I decided I wanted to leave immediately, just as he wished.

After performing some basic first aid on my wound, I used the satellite phone to call Charles.

The old man let out a delighted laugh. "Excellent! Excellent!"

"Tell Sherry that if she gets pregnant, I will give her a hundred million dollars. If she gives birth to a boy, she can have whatever she desires. She doesnt need to play those petty games anymore."

Charles had seen Sherry push me into the ocean through the satellite surveillance feeds. But he had never cared about who was right or wrong; he only cared about who could make Silas behave more like a normal human being.

"You have no idea, Lyra. Ive already had my staff edit a bunch of clips of them together. Well play them at their wedding."

His voice turned soft and coaxing. "Lyra, since things have turned out this way, why don't you come back first? Lets leave the island to the two young lovers."

The phrase young lovers felt like a needle driving straight into my heart.

"Okay," I whispered. "Grandfather, if that's the case, you should tell Sherry yourself. Ill leave the satellite phone with her."

I asked him to send a helicopter for me, then went back to the shelter to pack my belongings.

When I entered, I found my only three sets of spare clothes shredded to pieces. Sherry was standing nearby, trying on a designer dress.

She walked over, looking feigningly surprised.

"Oh, Lyra, Im so sorry. I just mentioned in passing that I needed some rags to wipe down the furniture. I had no idea Silas would go and shred your clothes."

"Why don't you look through my wardrobe and see if there's anything you like? Ill give it to you as compensation."

I looked around the room.

This was the shelter Silas and I had built with our own hands, the place where we had lived together for three years. The handmade clay plates and cups we had crafted were gone. Even the sacred fire we had kept burning continuously had been reduced to cold ashes.

Now, the entire space was crammed with luxury clothing, expensive jewelry boxes, and a massive full-length mirror.

Ignoring her insincere apology, I laid the satellite phone down on a trunk.

"Its all yours," I said, turning to walk out.

Sherry called out to me, looking at me with a smirk.

"Lyra, to be honest, I really envied you. A penniless orphan almost becoming the mistress of the Harrison estate." She let out a soft, mocking chuckle. "But don't blame me for taking whats yours. Silas was already sick of you. If youre going to leave, do it quickly."

My face darkened as I gave her a cold warning. "Ive already asked the Harrisons to investigate your background. You better pray you don't have any skeletons in your closet."

A flash of panic crossed Sherrys face.

The next second, she raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the cheek, letting out a piercing shriek.

"Lyra, please! I beg you, let me go!"

She frantically disheveled her hair, tearing at her own collar just as Silas came rushing through the entrance, pulling her into his arms.

"Silas, Lyra told me to stay away from you. She told me to leave the island immediately and stop seducing you, or else she'd throw me into the ocean to feed the sharks!"

Silass eyes instantly turned red with rage as he glared at me with disgust.

"Lyra, when did you become so malicious?"

"Im the one who insisted Sherry stay. If youre angry, take it out on me!"

"Apologize to her right now!"

I looked at him, listening to the soft whimpering of the woman cradled in his chest. The suffocating weight of my grievances could no longer be contained.

"I didn't do anything."

Silas didn't pay attention to my words, his harsh voice drowning me out.

"Are you lying to me now too?"

"And to think Sherry spent days helping me prepare a birthday gift for you, even going out of her way to have a mango cake delivered from across the country!"

"Get out!"

In just two short weeks, Silas had memorized Sherrys favorite tea flavors and her preferred clothing brands. He knew what colors she liked and what flowers she adored, promising to plant a garden full of roses and lilies for her once the villa was completed. He, who had never cared for media, could even recite the names of her favorite directors, actors, and singers.

Yet, he had completely forgotten that I was severely allergic to roses and mangoes.

The wind swept over the cliffs, carrying away the tears from my eyes. I turned and walked away.

Just as I reached the edge of the cliff to wait for the helicopter, Silas blocked my path once again. The anger in his eyes was palpable.

"Where is Sherrys jade pendant?"

"Give it back to her."

"That was a gift from her mother for her eighteenth birthday."

Being falsely accused over and over again finally pushed me past my breaking point. I screamed at him, my voice cracking.

"I didn't touch Sherry!"

"I didn't threaten her!"

"And I have never seen her stupid pendant!"

I had never once lost my temper with Silas in all the years we had spent together. He froze for a moment, but my anger only seemed to provoke his own. He grabbed my wrist, yanked off my red string bracelet, and hurled it over the edge of the cliff.

"Fine. If you won't give it back, then you don't get to keep yours either."

My breathing stopped.

He knew exactly how much I treasured that bracelet. It was the only keepsake left to me by my deceased parents, something my father had traveled to a temple to obtain for my mother when I was born. After they passed away, I had worn it every single day for seven years.

It was all I had left of them.

The tears finally spilled over, completely out of my control.

Silass expression softened slightly at the sight of my tears, but he still held my arm.

"Now were even," he said. "Go apologize to Sherry, and Ill forgive you."

"If you don't want to live on the island anymore, I can accompany you back to the city for a while. Ive already promised to help Sherry win an award, but once the villa is built, we can come back together."

Seeing that I wouldn't stop crying, he grew increasingly anxious, talking far more than usual.

"What is wrong with you lately? Why won't you speak to me?"

"Im not even holding your behavior against Sherry anymore."

"Are you crying now just so you can run to my grandfather and tell him I bullied you?"

His voice grew louder, as if he were desperately trying to force everything back into order.

"Sherry said youre just jealous. I never said I wouldn't marry you."

"Youre going to be Mrs. Harrison soon anyway. What more could you possibly want?"

I raised my hand and slapped Silas hard across the face.

I stared into his eyes, speaking slowly and clearly.

"Silas, no one in the outside world even knows about our engagement."

"Your grandfather will help us dissolve it. I am not marrying you."

"I am leaving right now. We are done."

Silass expression darkened instantly.

I ignored him, turning around and throwing myself over the edge of the cliff into the sea, desperate to find my red string bracelet in the vast, churning water.

After my tenth dive, I dragged myself onto the shore to rest. Silas found me again, dragging my shivering, soaking-wet body back to the camp and shoving me in front of Sherry to force an apology.

Sherry, her eyes red, spoke up timidly. "Silas, one of the construction workers found my pendant. I... I must have dropped it by accident earlier."

Silass grip on my wrist loosened. He let out a sigh of relief, gently brushing a tear from Sherrys cheek.

"Im glad we found it."

"Youre too kind, Sherry. You don't need to make excuses for Lyra."

He turned back to me, his tone carrying a sense of magnanimous forgiveness.

"Lyra, thank Sherry."

"Thank her for being so understanding."

"Thank her for what?" I asked, my voice deadly quiet. "For framing me?"

Seeing that I was completely unyielding, anger flared in Silass eyes once again.

The roar of several incoming helicopters drew Sherrys attention. She tugged at Silass sleeve. "Silas, its fine. Let's go see what else you bought for me."

Silas shot me a final, warning glance, but I met his gaze with absolute indifference.

I watched from a distance as Sherry squealed with delight, kissing the designer handbag Silas had purchased for her.

Silas smiled indulgently, though a faint crease remained between his brows. "As long as you like it, Sherry. Well leave tomorrow, and Ill buy you even more beautiful dresses for your red carpet events."

"What about Lyra?"

"Leave her here. Since she loves the island so much, she can supervise the construction of our villa."