Silas Harrison’s Ex-Wife Novel – Maria Wayne “The number you have dialed is not responding at the moment. Please try later.” I clicked my tongue and ended the call yet again. I tossed the phone on the bed and leaned back. I heaved a sigh and stared at the coffered ceiling. I have been trying to reach Silas for more than two hours now but, he isn’t responding. I pressed my lips together and got on my feet. Something has been off with him lately. Silas has changed – he doesn’t act like the same man I married a year ago. He doesn’t talk much either – all he does is work. He comes late from the office and then locks himself in the study room for hours. In the beginning, he was just a few hours late but, now – he hardly stays at home. It was two past thirty in the morning and he wasn’t home yet. I am determined to talk to him tonight. For the past few weeks, Silas and I haven’t communicated much in the past few months. I have to talk to him before the fog between us gets thicker.
This is unacceptable. I am his wife. If something is bothering him, he had better tell me about it. I stepped out of my room and silently walked down the stairs. The only light source was the big chandelier hanging up on the ceiling. Since it was late – no one was in the house except me. I shivered as my bare feet touched the cold marbled floor. I grabbed my gown and clutched it tightly around my body. The days were getting colder in New York. I switched on the lamp that was vacantly on the side table beside the couch. I sat on the couch and let it sink me within itself. I folded my arms around my legs and brought my knees to my chest. I tugged my cold feet underneath the long gown. I sighed and rested my head on the head of the couch.
I closed my eyes and went down the memory lane. I remember it was the month of February when I got married. I chuckled as I remember how badly I was shivering in my white strapless wedding gown. I also remember how Silas offered me his coat when we were riding to our house. Our new house. Our marriage will complete its first year in a couple of days. It feels like tomorrow when Silas and I got married. When I fell in love with Silas – I didn’t think that we would ever get married. I always used to think about whether a successful businessperson would ever marry a girl who is invisible to the world. But, our love was too strong to care about social class differences. A small smile curled on my face as I recalled the time when I met Silas for the first time. It was when I used to work at a café in Midtown Manhattan. I used to work as a server.
It was honestly the best job that I had. It paid me well. It covered the expenses of all the household necessities. It was where all the rich people used to come from. The environment at the café was pleasant. I first saw Silas in the second week of working there. He ordered something and I served him. He was the first person who smiled and thanked me. Almost all the diners there wouldn’t even spare a glance at their servers but, Silas was different. I won’t lie – I had a little crush on him when I first saw him. With his sea-rover – blue eyes that sparkled with mirth over a friendly smile, manful gritty stubble, a hawkish nose, half-domed cheekbones that sat above an oaken jaw, dashing personality, and dishy physique – who wouldn’t drool a little over a man like that. But, the crush soon converted into love when I came to know the perfect-looking man.
His respectful and delightful nature made me fall for him. We first communicated through words. After a week, I noticed him. He would come almost every day, sit at the same table by the glassed wall and order the same spicy salmon with caramelized onions. That day, when he came – I acted a little over-efficient and brought him his usual order without asking him. He chuckled as he looked at the dish resting on his table. “I was in the mood for a burger.” His words made my cheeks burn from embarrassment. I gulped and lowered my gaze – I was too embarrassed to even look at him. I cursed myself for bringing out his order without his permission. “I am sorry, sir – I thought, uh – I am sorry.” I apologized to him. I lifted my gaze to look at him as I heard him chuckling. “Please, don’t be sorry. It’s okay.” He smiled.
I frowned as I looked at him. “You – you are not going to complain about this to the manager?” I asked. He shook his head, “No. Why would I?” His reply made me smile, “Thank you, sir.” I honestly thought he would complain about my over-efficiency to the manager, but he didn’t. “Silas.” He said. I knitted my brows together, “Sorry?” “My name is Silas and please call me by my name,” he said. That was our first verbal conversation. When he came the next day, I asked if he still needed a burger and he said yes. From that day on, we would greet each other almost every day. We always exchanged smiles whenever our eyes met or when he would catch me staring at him. One day, I didn’t go to work as my Papa was ill and he had no one with him to take care of him. After my elder brother, Leo, went to Afghanistan without even informing us, my Papa’s health worsened. He already blames himself for my mother’s death. He says that if he didn’t leave his job then, he would have enough money to save my mother’s life, who passed away from cancer two years ago. When the next day I went back to work, my co-worker Denis told me that Silas had been asking about me yesterday.
When he came to the café that afternoon, he asked me about my father’s well-being. “How did you know that I didn’t come to work yesterday because of my father?” I asked him. He smiled and pointed at me. I twirled around to see Aaron – another co-worker of mine serving food to the diners. I looked around to see Silas smiling, “I may have bribed him to tell me.” He shrugged. I laughed, “You know that bribing is wrong, right?” I said to him. “Nothing is wrong when you are doing it for the right purpose,” he answered. My cheeks flushed. I mashed my lips together and smiled, “So, what would you like to have today?” I asked. A few weeks passed and Silas and I became great friends – maybe more than just friends, but at the time, none of us said anything to each other. We just went with the flow. We went out on a walk, we had a coffee together – nothing too fancy.
When I was with him, I felt like he was a business executive. He was always very friendly, always cracking jokes and making me laugh. He was perfect in my eyes. I remember it was mid-October when my Papa was again ill – like before. I had to take off from work that day to take care of him. “You didn’t have to take off, Maria. I am okay.” Papa said to me as he coughed. I looked at him and he smiled. He always says that whenever I take off for him. “I will get you some soup,” I said to him. He sighed and nodded. I smiled and went into the kitchen to get some hot corn soup for my father when the doorbell rang. I left the spoon in the pot and wiped my hand with a towel before walking towards the door. I unlocked the door and opened it to be shocked. My eyes widened as I saw the person standing in front of me. “Oh thank God, after knocking on three wrong doors – I finally found the right one.” Silas was a little out of breath. He had a fruit basket in his hand. I was surprised to see him at my apartment. I never thought I would ever see him standing at my doorstep. “Uh – what are you doing here, Silas?” I asked him bewilderedly. “And how did you know I live here?” I asked him.
The corner of his eyes wrinkled, “I might have bribed someone again.” He said guiltily. I chuckled and shook my head. That was the first day he ever came to my apartment. “I hate you so much.” He gritted out as his eyes filled with tears. I hate you so much. These five words were my worst nightmare. These five words were enough for my heart to drop into my guts. A tear escaped my eye, “You don’t mean it.” I said – more to make myself believe that this wasn’t true. “I mean it.” He said. “God, I hate myself even more for loving you.” He yelled out. “Tell me? Why did you do it? What was it, huh? You didn’t enjoy what I had to offer or did you want more? I wasn’t giving you enough money? Tell me! Why did you do it?!” he screamed. I closed my eyes. No, I wasn’t really. It is just a nightmare. Silas can’t talk to me like this – he can’t treat me like this – this isn’t real. This is just a nightmare. I reopened my eyes to see him glaring at me. I stared into his eyes. It all felt too real to be unreal. I was confused – why was he doing it? Why was he asking me such awful questions? “What did I do?” I whispered. He sniggered and shook his head, “Unbelievable. You are so unbelievable.” He said.
I looked at him bewilderedly. He clenched his jaws and glared at me with so much hate. The same eyes that once looked at me lovingly were now staring at me with so much hate. “Pack your bags and get your cheating self out of my house.” He said sourly. “Go to your lover – maybe he will be able to give you what I couldn’t give you.” He added. I don’t know how to describe the feeling I felt. I can’t express how hurt and shocked I was. My lover? He thinks I cheated – I wasn’t sure how to react to him. I was numb. After a few seconds of taking everything in – I dared to speak, “What are you talking about, Silas?” I asked him. “I didn’t cheat on you. I would never do that.” I said. “Please, Maria, don’t try to fool me again. I am never falling for your act again. This is it!” he said sharply. “From this day you are free. Free to be with anyone you want to be with. Free from this so-called relationship.” He told him – this time his tone was missing the sharpness of it. “I am leaving you. You were never meant to be mine.” That day Silas completely broke me.