Page 55 of The Housemaid
I hold my breath waiting to hear his answer. There was something between us that night in New York, but I’m not going to kid myself that he’s leaving Nina because of me.
“This isn’t about Millie,” he finally says.
“Really? So are you going to lie to my face and pretend nothing ever happened between you and her?”
Damn. She knows. Or at least, she thinks she knows.
“I have feelings for Millie,” he says in a voice so quiet, I’m sure I must’ve imagined it. How could this rich, handsome,marriedman have feelings forme? “But that’s not what this is about. This is about you and me. I don’t love you anymore.”
“This is bullshit!” The pitch of Nina’s voice is going up to the point where soon only dogs will be able to hear her. “You’re leaving me for ourmaid! This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. This is anembarrassmentto you. You’re better than this, Andrew.”
“Nina.” His tone is firm. “It’s over. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Another crack of thunder shakes the floorboards. “Oh, you don’t know what sorry is…”
There’s a pause. “Excuseme?”
“If you try to go through with this,” she growls at him, “I will destroy you in court. I will make sure you are left penniless and homeless.”
“Homeless? This ismyhome, Nina. I bought it before we even knew each other. Iallowyou to stay here. We have a prenup, as you recall, and after our marriage ends, it will be mine again.” He pauses again. “And now I’d like you to leave.”
I hazard a look around the stairwell. If I crouch, I can make out Nina standing in the center of the living room, her face pale. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish. “You can’t be serious about this, Andy,” she sputters.
“I am very serious.”
“But…” She clutches her chest. “What about Cece?”
“Cece isyourdaughter. You never wanted me to adopt her.”
It sounds like she’s speaking through gritted teeth. “Oh, I see what this is about. It’s because I can’t have another baby. You want somebody younger, who can give you a child. I’m not good enough anymore.”
“That’s not what this is about,” he says. Although on some level, maybe it is. Andrew does want another child. And he can’t have that with Nina.
Her voice trembles. “Andy, please don’t do this to me… Don’t humiliate me this way.Please.”
“I’d like you to leave, Nina. Right now.”
“But it’s raining!”
Andrew’s voice doesn’t waver. “Pack a bag and get out.”
I can almost hear her weighing her options. Whatever else I can say about Nina Winchester, she’s not stupid. Finally, her shoulders sag. “Fine. I’ll leave.”
Nina’s footsteps thud in the direction of the stairs. It occurs to me a second too late that I need to move out of sight. Nina lifts her eyes and sees me standing at the top of the stairs. Her eyes burn with anger like nothing I’ve ever seen. I should run back to my room, but my legs feel frozen as her heels bite into the steps one by one.
The lightning flashes one last time when she reaches the top of the stairs, and the glow on her face makes her look like she’s standing at the gates of hell.
“Do…” My lips feel numb, it’s almost hard to form the words. “Do you need help packing?”
There’s such venom in her eyes, I’m afraid she’s going to reach into my chest and yank my heart out with her bare hands. “Do I need helppacking? No, I believe I can manage.”
Nina goes into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. I am not sure what to do. I could go up to the attic, but then I look downstairs where Andrew is still in the living room. He’s looking up at me, so I descend the stairs to talk to him.
“I’m so sorry!” My words come out in a rush. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” he says. “This was a long time coming.”
I glance at the window, which is drenched with rain. “Do you want me to…go?”
