# Chapter 17: A Shadow in the City
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 17 of *The Housemaid's Secret*. And oh, what a chapter this is — full of creeping suspicion, a shocking discovery, and a moment that makes your blood run cold. So settle in, because we're about to follow Millie down a very dangerous street.
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It was supposed to be a nice dinner with Brock. A moment of normalcy, maybe even a little joy. But then Millie saw him. Douglas Garrick. Not at work, not at home, but out on the streets of New York City, walking alongside a woman who was definitely, absolutely, not Wendy Garrick.
Millie knew what Wendy looked like. She'd seen the photos. And this woman? Not her. Not even close.
So what did Millie do? She did the only thing she could — she followed him.
Her poor date, Brock, was left behind at the restaurant wondering if she'd lost her mind. She knew he probably thought she was crazy. She could already picture him on the phone with her parents, describing how she'd jumped out of her seat and sprinted away like a lunatic. But she didn't care. Something was wrong, and she had to know what.
She trailed Douglas and the mysterious woman along Second Avenue, keeping just enough distance to stay hidden. The woman's voice was raised, loud enough to show there was tension between them, but not loud enough for Millie to make out the words. Millie didn't dare get closer — one wrong step and she'd be spotted.
Finally, they stopped in front of a small brownstone apartment building. No doorman. Just like Millie's own building. The woman dug around in her purse, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. As she pushed it open, Millie caught a good look at her face just before they disappeared inside.
And then it hit her.
Painfully obvious. Devastatingly clear.
Douglas Garrick had a mistress.
The woman was at least in her thirties, not some flashy young thing. She seemed serious, desperate even. Millie could imagine the story — a woman waiting for Douglas to leave his wife, growing angrier each day. Maybe that's why they were arguing. Maybe she was tired of being the other woman, tired of waiting for a wedding ring that was never coming.
Millie stood there, staring at that brownstone, frozen in indecision. What should she do next? Should she wait? Should she knock? Should she call Wendy and warn her?
But before she could decide, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Brock.
She cringed when she saw his name flash on the screen. She wished she'd left her phone in her purse. But she had to answer. The man had just told her they could move in together, told her he loved her, and then she'd bolted from the table like a madwoman.
"Millie?" Brock sounded genuinely baffled. "What happened? Where did you go?"
"I—I saw an old friend," she lied. "I wanted to catch up with her. I haven't seen her in years."
Reluctantly, he accepted her ridiculous explanation. "Are you coming back?"
She gave the brownstone one last look. "Yes. I'll be back in a few minutes."
She started walking back to the restaurant, bracing herself for the interrogation to come. She knew he'd want more of an answer. But the truth would make her sound insane. So she kept it simple, kept it vague, and tried to calm her racing heart.
"Millie? Are you there?" Brock's voice crackled through the phone.
Then she stopped.
Because in that moment, her eyes landed on something that made her heart plummet into her stomach.
A black Mazda with a cracked right front headlight.
The same car she'd seen parked near her apartment building. The same car she'd spotted near the Garricks' home. The car she was pretty sure had been following her for a while now.
She dropped her gaze to the license plate: **58 F321**.
Her mind raced. She'd been so sure she would remember the plate from last time, but she hadn't written it down. Still, that cracked headlight — it looked so familiar. It had to be the same car.
And now it was parked right here, near Douglas Garrick's mistress's building.
All this time, she'd assumed it was Xavier following her. But now... could it be Douglas? A multimillionaire driving around in a crummy old car? Maybe, if he wanted to be inconspicuous. Maybe, if he didn't want to be recognized.
But why would Douglas be following her? She'd felt that strange sensation of being watched before she even started working for the Garricks. Which meant — if this was really Douglas — he had been following her even before she entered his home.
A horrible cold sensation crawled down her spine.
What is going on here?
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**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
This chapter sent absolute chills down my spine. Millie's instinct to follow Douglas was brave — maybe even reckless — but you can't blame her after everything she's been through. The moment when she realizes the black Mazda might be connected to Douglas is the kind of twist that makes you gasp. The tension is perfectly built: an argument, a mistress, a familiar cracked headlight, and a license plate that changes everything. You can feel Millie's fear and confusion jump off the page. It's a brilliantly paced chapter that leaves you desperate for answers.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
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**Next Chapter Prediction:**
Now that Millie has discovered Douglas's possible connection to the car that's been following her, the next chapter will likely see her shaken to the core. She's moving in with Brock, but this revelation will not let her rest. I predict she'll start digging into Douglas's secrets — maybe even the identity of the mysterious mistress — and the danger will only grow darker. Could Douglas know something about Millie's past? And what will happen when Brock realizes she's hiding something even bigger than he thought? Brace yourselves — the truth is coming, and it's not going to be pretty.
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