The Housemaid's Secret
by Freida McFadden
Contents
Chapter 8
Overview
Millie confides in Brock about her growing unease at the Garricks’ house, especially Wendy’s continued isolation in the upstairs bedroom. Brock tries to defuse the situation with jokes, but Millie admits she has no theory—only a persistent bad feeling. Even as she forces herself to act normal, Millie can’t stop thinking about what might be happening behind that locked door.
Summary
At Brock’s apartment after dinner, Millie tells him about the Garricks and how she has been to their house multiple times without once seeing Wendy Garrick leave the upstairs guest bedroom. Millie says the closest she has come to seeing Wendy was the one time the door cracked open.
Brock responds by jokingly suggesting ridiculous explanations—first that Wendy is a vampire, then a werewolf, then a woman with a green ribbon around her neck whose head would fall off if it were untied. Millie dismisses each idea and admits she can’t explain what is happening, only that she gets a strange, unsettling vibe.
As they sit together, Brock focuses on Millie’s untouched wine and pressures her to finish it, treating the expensive bottle as something she should appreciate properly. Millie fakes her way through agreeing that the wine is “really good,” drinks the rest, and remains mentally stuck on the Garricks despite the normality of the evening.
Who Appears
- Millie CallowayNarrator; confides concerns about Wendy’s isolation and can’t shake a bad feeling.
- BrockMillie’s boyfriend; jokes about Wendy’s secrecy and pressures Millie to finish expensive wine.
- Wendy GarrickDouglas’s wife; discussed as staying hidden in the upstairs guest bedroom.
- Douglas GarrickMillie’s employer; mentioned as part of the troubling household situation.