Seared Vision: A Chronicle of Captive Love

I knelt on the floor, my fingertips touching the cold tiles as I scrubbed at invisible stains.

"A blind man, good for nothing but eating," my mother-in-law's acidic voice pierced my ears. "Hurry up, you can't even clean the floor properly. What use are you?"

I gripped the rag tightly, enduring it all.

"Mom, I'm sorry," Claire's voice chimed in, full of impatience. "Why are you bothering with this? We could just hire a maid."

"I don't like strangers in the house," my mother-in-law replied coldly. "Besides, James isn't doing anything else. A little exercise is good for him."