The Housemaid Is Watching
by Freida McFadden
Contents
Chapter 13
Overview
Millie wakes to the familiar scraping sound at two a.m. and, haunted by Janice’s warning, convinces herself it could be something trapped—or someone—inside the house. She goes to investigate alone, but the noise stops just as she nears the stairs. When Millie turns on the lights downstairs, she finds nothing, deepening her paranoia and uncertainty.
Summary
Millie jolts awake at two in the morning to the scraping sound she has been hearing on and off in the house. This time it seems louder and more deliberate, and Millie fixates on Janice’s warning that something “inside” the house scared off other buyers.
Enzo sleeps through the noise, and Millie debates waking him but decides he would dismiss her concerns again. Determined to confirm she isn’t imagining it, Millie leaves the bedroom and moves through the dark hallway, uneasy about the home’s size and all its hiding places.
As Millie approaches the stairs, the scraping suddenly intensifies, making her feel like whatever is causing it is moving closer. Frightened, Millie decides she should wake Enzo—only for the sound to stop completely before she can turn back.
Millie goes downstairs anyway and turns on the lights. The first floor is empty and still, leaving Millie with no proof of what she heard and the unsettling suspicion that the noise stopped because something—or someone—noticed her coming.
Who Appears
- Millie AccardiWakes to scraping noise at 2 a.m.; investigates downstairs alone and finds nothing.
- Enzo AccardiSleeps through the noise; previously dismissed Millie’s concerns and remains unaware tonight.
- JaniceMentioned as the source of a warning that something “inside” the house scared buyers.