Page 54 of The Housemaid
“I’ll tell you what’s going on!” she announces triumphantly. “Millie here has been stealing from my closet. She stole all this clothing from me. I found it in her closet.”
Andrew’s eyes slowly grow wide. “She…”
“I didn’t steal anything!” Tears prick at my eyes. “I swear to you. Nina gave me those clothes. She said they didn’t fit her.”
“As if we would believe your lies.” She sneers at me. “I should call the police on you. Do you know what this clothing is worth?”
“No, please don’t…”
“Oh, right.” Nina laughs at the expression on my face. “You’re on parole, aren’t you? Something like this would send you right back to prison.”
Andrew is looking down at the clothing on the couch, a deep crease between his eyebrows. “Nina…”
“I’m going to call them.” Nina whips her phone out of her purse. “God knows what else she stole from us, right, Andy?”
“Nina.” He lifts his eyes from the stack of clothing. “Millie didn’t steal this clothing. I remember you emptying your closet. You put it all in trash bags and said you were donating it.” He picks up a tiny white dress. “You haven’t been able to fit into this inyears.”
It’s gratifying the way Nina’s cheeks turn pink. “What are you saying? That I’m toofat?”
He ignores her remark. “I’m saying there’s no way she stole this from you. Why are you doing this to her?”
Her mouth falls open. “Andy…”
Andrew looks over at me, hovering by the sofa. “Millie.” His voice is gentle when he says my name. “Would you go upstairs and give us some privacy? I need to talk to Nina.”
“Yes, of course,” I agree. Gladly.
The two of them stand there in silence while I mount the flight of stairs to the second floor. When I reach the top, I go over to the doorway to the attic and I open the door. For a moment, I stand there, contemplating my next move. Then I close the door without going through.
Much quieter this time, I creep over to the head of the stairs. I stand at the edge of the hallway, just before the stairwell. I can’t see Nina and Andrew, but I can hear their voices. It’s wrong to eavesdrop, but I can’t help myself. After all, this conversation will almost certainly involve Nina’s accusations about me.
I hope Andrew continues to defend me, even when I’m out of the room. Will she convince him that I stole her clothes? I am, after all, a convict. You make one mistake in life, and nobody ever trusts you again.
“…didn’t take these dresses,” Andrew is saying. “I know she didn’t.”
“How could you take her side over mine?” Nina shoots back. “The girl was in prison. You can’t trust somebody like that. She’s a liar and a thief, and she probably deserves to be back in prison.”
“How could you say something like that? Millie has been wonderful.”
“Yes, I’m sureyouthink so.”
“When did you become so cruel, Nina?” His voice trembles. “You’ve changed. You’re a different person now.”
“Everyone changes,” she spits at him.
“No.” His voice lowers so that I have to strain to hear it over the sound of raindrops falling outside and hitting the pavement. “Not like you. I don’t even recognize you anymore. You’re not the same person I fell in love with.”
There’s a long silence, broken by a bolt of thunder that cracks loud enough to shake the foundations of the house. Once it’s faded, I hear Nina’s next words loud and clear.
“What are you saying, Andy?”
“I’m saying… I don’t think I’m in love with you anymore, Nina. I think we should separate.”
“You’re not in love with me anymore?” she bursts out. “How can you say that?”
“I’m sorry. I was just going along with things, living our lives, and I didn’t even realize how unhappy I was.”
Nina is quiet for a long time as she absorbs his words. “Does this have to do with Millie?”
