Chapter 11
Contains spoilersOverview
After a frantic call, Nina instructs Millie to pick up Cecelia, but gives the wrong school and then denies making the request. At the Windsor Academy, Rachel confirms she routinely takes the girls to karate. Gossip from other mothers and Nina’s reversal amplify Millie’s concerns about Nina’s stability.
Summary
Nina urgently calls Millie to pick up Cecelia at 2:45, then hangs up before giving details. Unable to reach Nina or Andrew, Millie panics, discovers a Windsor Academy flyer on the fridge after searching for “Winter Academy,” and races to the private school with minutes to spare.
At the crowded pickup, Millie struggles to find the right exit and asks two well-heeled parents for directions. The women identify the fourth-grade door and, probing for gossip, describe Nina as high-strung, with one bluntly calling her “nuts,” planting doubts in Millie’s mind.
Millie spots Cecelia, who insists Sophia’s mother is taking her to karate. Rachel arrives and challenges Millie’s claim, then calls Nina to confirm. Nina sides with Rachel, asserting the routine plan stands, leaving Millie looking mistaken while Cecelia pointedly mocks her.
Millie texts Nina for clarification; Nina replies that Millie misunderstood, denying she asked for the pickup. Shaken by the contradiction and the mothers’ gossip, Millie heads home, increasingly wary of Nina’s erratic behavior and the possibility that it is more than mere eccentricity.
Who Appears
- Millie
Housemaid; scrambles to collect Cecelia after Nina’s call, navigates confusion at school, and is undermined when Nina denies the request.
- Nina Winchester
Employer; frantically orders pickup, gives the wrong school name, then denies asking, fueling concerns about her stability.
- Cecelia Winchester
Daughter; rejects Millie’s pickup, leaves with Rachel for karate, and taunts Millie.
- Rachel
Sophia’s mother; routinely takes Cecelia to karate, calls Nina, and confirms Millie was not scheduled to pick up.
- Brunette parent
Windsor Academy mother; hints Nina is high-strung while probing Millie for gossip.
- Redheaded parent
Windsor Academy mother; bluntly says Nina is “nuts,” intensifying Millie’s doubts.