The Housemaid

Content Warning: This section describes violence, domestic abuse, and attempted death by suicide.

Alone in a hotel room, Nina tries to track Millie’s location, which has been unavailable since the afternoon. Nina guesses that Millie has figured out Nina was tracking her and has deactivated the function. She takes out a photograph of Andrew from her pocket and sets it on fire, smiling her “first real smile in almost eight years” (193). She’s relieved to finally be rid of him.

In a guide titled “How to Get Rid of Your Sadistic, Evil Husband” (193), Nina recounts her history with Andrew. After getting pregnant after a drunken one-night stand in college, Nina is forced to drop out and begin working to pay the bills. After Cecelia is born, Nina can’t afford to take 12 weeks of leave, 10 of which would be unpaid, so she goes back to work just two weeks after giving birth.

Andrew is the handsome CEO of the company where Nina works, and she has a crush on him. During a meeting between Stewart, Nina’s boss, and Andrew, Stewart keeps Nina late and calls her to bring in some data. Nina, who is supposed to be pumping, leaks breastmilk, and Stewart yells at her to get cleaned up.