With that, I wheeled myself into the sanctuary of my bedroom, shutting the door on their charade.
When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Thea, dressed in a maid’s uniform, diligently wiping the floor.
Ruslan sat stiffly on the sofa, his face a mask of seriousness. However, the newspaper in his hands was unmistakably upside down.
The days began to blur together, each one carrying the same tedious routine.
While Ruslan was away at work, Thea’s facade crumbled like a brittle mask. After preparing meals, she would deliberately place the bowls on the highest shelves, well out of my reach.
Hunger would eventually force me to wheel over, staring helplessly at the food perched above me like an unreachable prize.
Catching me in that moment, Thea would saunter by with a feigned look of surprise.
“Oh, I forgot you’re disabled and can’t stand up!” she would exclaim, her voice laced with mockery so sharp it could cut glass.
Her eyes sparkled with malicious delight, the mockery dripping off her words like poison.
But when Ruslan returned home each evening, she would don her mask once more, transforming into the picture of a devoted caregiver.