The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)

by Freida McFadden

There’s something about this room that’s making a little ball of dread form in the pit of my stomach.

Do you know those movies about the scary cult of, like, creepy kids who can read minds and worship the devil and live in the cornfields or something? Well, if they were casting for one of those movies, this girl would get the part. They wouldn’t even have to audition her. They would take one look at her and be like, Yes, you are creepy girl number three.

Is there something wrong with me that I am scared this nine-year-old girl is going to murder me?

I’d say there’s at least a twenty-five percent chance she’s going to murder me in my sleep if I get this job. But I still want it.

There’s something in his expression that sends a chill down my spine. And then he shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. Almost like he’s trying to warn me. But he doesn’t say a word.

I wonder if she would feel the same way about me if she knew I spent the last ten years of my life in prison.

“Gracias,” I say. He gives me a funny look. Hmm, that might have been Spanish. Oh well.

i am feeling far too much second hand embarrassment lmao

“Piacere di conoscerti,”

nice to meet you

Pericolo.

danger

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Winchester.” “Please.” He smiles warmly at me. “Call me Andrew.” As he says the words, something flickers over Nina Winchester’s face. Her lips twitch and her eyes narrow. I’m not exactly sure why though. She herself offered to let me call her by her first name. And it’s not like Andrew Winchester is checking me out.

It’s sweet how he blows her a kiss from the front door—this is a man who loves his wife.

“You’re a lifesaver, Millie. I’m so glad you’re here.”

this does and doesn’t sound like foreshadowing

As I shut the door, I notice marks in the wood. Long thin lines running down the length of the door at about the level of my shoulder. I run my fingers over the indentations. They almost seem like… Scratches. Like somebody was scraping at the door. Trying to get out.

If this is the part of the job where I find out Cecelia has actually been dead for ten years and is a ghost, I’m quitting. Well, maybe not. But I might ask for a raise.

“So what do you like to watch on television?” I ask, hoping she’ll take the hint. She frowns like I offended her. “I prefer to read.” “That’s great! What do you like to read?” “Books.” “What kind of books?” “The kind with words.”

I glance behind me. Nina is watching me at the stove with that dark expression in her blue eyes. She doesn’t like her husband complimenting me.

I was never locked in the room after all. Nina didn’t have some crazy plot to trap me in there. The door was just stuck. But I can’t seem to shake that uneasy feeling. That I should get out of here while I still can.

“I’m so sorry, Nina,” I say. “If there’s anything I can do…” Nina’s eyes lower onto the disaster on the kitchen floor. “You can clean up this disgusting mess you left in my kitchen while I fix this problem.”

the mess SHE left??

“Listen,” I say, “I wasn’t the one who—” “I know,” he says before I can get out my protest of innocence. “Nina is… high strung. But she has a good heart.” “Yeah…”

Actually, he knows his way around the closet of cleaning supplies very well. And now I get it. Nina has done things like this before. He’s gotten used to cleaning up her messes.

“Okay, thanks, Millie. I appreciate your hard work.” At least somebody does.

It’s obvious Andrew is still crazy about Nina, but something has changed. I can sense it. Nina isn’t the person she used to be.

“Gracias,” I say. His lips twitch. “No. Grazie.” “Grazie,” I repeat.

Those muscular arms could kill me without him even breaking a sweat if he got it in his head to do so. But I don’t get a sense that this man wants to hurt me at all. If anything, he seems concerned about me.

“It was just that landscaper guy,” I explain. “He was helping me carry groceries into the house. That’s all.” I had expected the explanation would satisfy Nina, but instead, her eyes darken. A muscle twitches under her right eye. “The landscaper? Enzo? He was here?” “Um.” I rub the back of my neck. “Is that his name? I don’t know. He just carried the groceries in.” Nina studies my face as if trying to detect a lie. “I don’t want him inside this house again. He’s filthy from working outside. I work so hard to keep this house clean.”

lol what

This job would be so great if not for my boss.

Actually, I called up to her three times. She has not yet answered me. Andrew nods. “Gotcha.” Shortly after Andrew disappears into the dining room and calls her name, I hear her quick footsteps on the staircase. So that’s how it’s going to be.

“I hate water. Get me apple juice.” If I had spoken to somebody like that when I was a child, my mother would have smacked my hand and told me to say “please.”

When I do eventually put myself back out there, he’s the sort of man I’m looking for. Except obviously not married.

Truthfully, I feel sorry for Andrew sometimes. It can’t be easy being married to Nina.

pretty sure dude’s still with her out of fear lmao

“I’ll have somebody take a look at it then,” she says in a way that makes me think she is absolutely never going to get somebody to take a look at it and I will never have a window that opens.

“Hello, Nina? It’s Rachel.” She pauses. “Yes, well, there’s a girl here saying you told her to pick up Cecelia, but I explained to her that I take Cecelia to karate every Wednesday.” Another long pause as the woman, Rachel, nods. “Right, that’s exactly what I told her. I’m so glad I checked.” After another pause, Rachel laughs. “I know exactly what you mean. It’s so hard to find somebody good.”

fuck that woman

Is Nina more than just an eccentric and demanding boss? Is there something else going on with her? Maybe it’s better if I don’t know.

just feel like…” She frowns. “You aren’t doing a good job getting the sink clean. Can I watch how you’re doing it? I’d like to see what you’re doing wrong.” She wants to watch me clean her sink? “Okay…”

I spray more of the product in her sink and scrub at the porcelain until the toothpaste residue vanishes. I glance over at Nina, who is nodding thoughtfully. “That’s fine,” she says. “I guess the real question is how are you cleaning the sink when I’m not watching you.” “Um, the same?” “Hmm. I highly doubt that.” She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I don’t have time to supervise your cleaning all day. Try to make sure to do a thorough job this time.” “Right,” I mutter. “Okay, I will.”

I do take out my phone and punch in the word “haloperidol.” Several hits fill the screen. Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medication, used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, delirium, agitation, and acute psychosis. And that’s just one of at least a dozen pill bottles. God knows what else is in there. Part of me is burning with shame that I looked in the first place. And part of me is scared at what else I might find.

“Hola!” That may have been Spanish again.

cringe

“And when you do start dating,” she says, “don’t just settle for anyone. Don’t date a jerk just because you’re an ex-con. You deserve someone who treats you right.” “Mmm…” For a moment, I allow myself to think about the possibility of dating a man in the future. I close my eyes, trying to imagine what he might look like. Unbidden, the image of Andrew Winchester fills my head, with his easy charm and handsome smile. My eyes fly open. Oh no. No way. I can’t even think it. “Also,” Pam adds, “you’re beautiful. You shouldn’t settle.”

“I’m just not ready to think about that yet,” I say. “That’s fine,” Pam says. “But remember, having a job and shelter is important, but human connections are even more important.” She might be right, but I’m just not ready for that right now, I have to focus on keeping my nose clean. The last thing I want is to end up back in prison. That’s all that matters.

He rubs his stomach. “Would it be really bad manners if I eat some peanut butter right out of the jar?” I cringe at the mention of peanut butter. “As long as you’re not eating in front of Cecelia.” He tilts his head. “Why?” “You know. Because she’s allergic.” They really don’t seem very respectful of Cecelia’s deadly peanut allergy in this household. Even more surprising, Andrew laughs. “No, she’s not.” “Yes, she is. She told me she is. The first day I was here.” “Um, I think I would know if my daughter were allergic to peanuts.” He snorts. “Anyway, do you think we would keep a big jar of it in the pantry if she were allergic?”

When I first met Andrew, I assumed he was a stuffy rich guy. But he’s not like that at all. Nina is certifiable, but Andrew is nice. He’s completely down-to-earth, and he’s funny. And it seems like he’s a really good dad to Cecelia. The truth is, I feel a bit sorry for him sometimes. I shouldn’t think that. Nina is my boss. She gives me paychecks and a place to live. My loyalty is to her. But at the same time, she’s awful. She’s a slob, she’s constantly telling me conflicting information, and she can be incredibly cruel. Even Enzo, who’s got to be two hundred pounds of solid muscle, seems afraid of her.

“Millie,” Nina says, “in the future, I expect you to wear appropriate attire around the house.” “I’m so sorry,” I say for the second time. “I didn’t think anyone would be awake.” “Really?” She snorts. “Would you just wander around any stranger’s house in the middle of the night because you assume they won’t be around?” I don’t know what to say to that. This is not a stranger’s house. I live here, albeit up in the attic. “No…” “Please stay up in the attic after bedtime,” she says. “The rest of the house is for my family. Do you understand?”

“Listen, Nina,” I begin. “Nothing was going on between me and Andrew…” She throws her head back and laughs. It’s a disturbing sound, something almost between a laugh and a cry. “Is that what you think I’m worried about? Andrew and I are soulmates. We have a child together and soon we’ll have another baby together. You think I’m scared that my husband would risk everything in his life for some trampy servant living in the attic?” I swallow. I may have just made things much worse. “No, he wouldn’t.” “Damn straight he wouldn’t.” She looks me in the eyes. “And don’t ever forget it.”

“I feel like there needs to be more than one gluten-free option.” “I agree,” Jillianne says. “And even though there is a vegan option, it’s not vegan and gluten-free. So what are people who are both vegan and gluten-free supposed to eat?” I don’t know? Grass?

“They’re barely lukewarm.” “I know,” Nina says regretfully. “I asked my maid to take care of it, but you know how it is. It is so hard to find good help.” My mouth falls open. She never asked me any such thing. Also, does she realize I’m standing right here?

“Or else you get someone foreign,” Suzanne adds. “And they barely speak the language. Like Enzo.” “At least he’s nice to look at!” Patrice laughs. The rest of them hoot and giggle, although Nina is oddly silent. I suppose she doesn’t have to ogle the hot landscaper when she’s married to Andrew—I can’t blame her on that one. She also seems to have some sort of strange grudge against Enzo.

“I’d thank you not to refer to me as Nina—I’m not your drinking buddy.” She snickers at the other women. “It’s Mrs. Winchester. Don’t make me remind you again.” I stare at her, flabbergasted. On the very first day I met her, she instructed me to call her Nina. I’ve been calling her that the entire time I’ve been working here, and she’s never said a word about it. Now she’s acting like I’m taking liberties.

“Especially when Andrew and I have another baby.” The other women let out gasps of excitement. “Nina, are you pregnant?” Suzanne cries. “I knew you were eating like five times as much as the rest of us for a reason!” Jillianne says triumphantly. Nina shoots her a look—I have to stifle a laugh. “I’m not pregnant yet. But Andy and I are seeing this fertility specialist who is supposed to be amazing. Trust me, I’ll have a baby by the end of the year.” “That is so great.” Patrice puts a hand on Nina’s shoulder. “I know you guys have been wanting a baby for a long time. And Andrew is such a great dad.”

“I’ll tell you one thing.” Patrice drops her voice several notches. She’s doing it so I can’t hear, which means she has no idea how loud she is. “If I were Nina, the last thing I would do would be to hire a pretty, young maid to live in my house. She must be out of her mind with jealousy.”

I mean, yes, if Andrew were single, I’d be interested. But he’s not. I’m staying far away from that man. Nina has nothing to worry about.