# Chapter 32: The Trap Behind the Door
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 32 of "The Housemaid's Secret" — a chapter that sneaks up on you like a shadow in a dark hallway. It might not have a chase scene or a scream, but the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. So settle in, take a deep breath, and let's step into Millie's world once more.
The night was quiet. Too quiet. Millie was sitting in Enzo's car outside her building, the street dark and empty except for a lone man on the corner smoking something that definitely wasn't cigarettes. In that moment, she finally understood why Enzo had felt so protective of her — even if she still refused to believe she ever needed it.
Enzo turned his dark eyes to her, and his voice was low, serious. "I believe you can do anything," he said. "But, Millie, I am just saying... be careful."
She brushed it off. "Wendy is very careful."
"No." His gaze bore into her. "You be careful. She is gone, but you are still here."
The meaning hit her like ice water. Douglas Garrick was still out there. If he ever got even a whisper of Millie's involvement in Wendy's disappearance, he could make her life a living nightmare. But Millie had dealt with worse men than Douglas, and she had come out ahead.
"I'll be careful," she told him. "It's not your responsibility to worry about me anymore. So you don't need to protect me."
"Then who will? Broccoli?"
Her face burned. "Actually, I don't need either of you to protect me. When that asshole attacked me in my building, I took care of myself very nicely. So don't worry about me. If you're worried about anyone, you should worry about Douglas Garrick's safety—from me."
Enzo almost smiled. "Well," he said, "that too."
For a long moment, they just looked at each other. And in that silence, Millie couldn't stop herself from wishing he had never left for Italy. If he had stayed, he could have helped her with Wendy. He could have told her his reservations earlier, helped Wendy get a new identity, given her more options. And maybe tonight, she would have been going home with him... instead of Brock.
She shook the thought away. "I'd better go."
He nodded slowly. "Okay."
She unbuckled her seatbelt, but her body refused to move. "You need to stop following me."
"Okay."
"I mean it." She glared at him. "I'm dating someone else right now. You're stalking me. It's creepy, and it's unnecessary. You need to stop. Or else... I'll have to call the police or something."
He placed a hand on his chest, and underneath his T-shirt she could still make out the outline of his muscles — sadly. "I said okay," he told her. "I give you my word. No more watching."
"Good."
She had solved the mystery of the black Mazda with the cracked headlight. That car would never bother her again. She should have felt relieved. Instead, she felt even more uneasy. She had a guardian angel, and she hadn't even known it. And now she was sending him away for good.
"Anyway..." She opened the passenger door. "I guess this is goodbye."
But before she could leave, Enzo's hand wrapped around her forearm. His dark eyebrows were drawn together, his face full of worry. "I still have the same phone number," he said. "You need me, you call. I will be there."
She tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. "I won't need you. You should... like, find another girlfriend. I mean it."
He released her arm, but that frown stayed. "You call. I will wait."
It was maddening, how certain he was that she would call him. If there was one thing Enzo should have known about Millie, it was that she was capable of taking care of herself. Sometimes a little too well.
But as she climbed the steps to the third floor of her building, a terrible feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach. What if Enzo was right? What if she really had underestimated Douglas Garrick? He was a truly terrible man, and on top of that, he was incredibly rich. Women like Wendy didn't just walk away from men like that without getting caught. When Millie and Enzo used to help women escape abusive husbands, they planned every detail carefully — and even then, sometimes they got found out.
What if Douglas was smarter than the other men? What if he had other ways of keeping tabs on his wife? What if he knew exactly what they were planning tonight?
The thought hit her like a ton of bricks as she reached the landing. The third floor was completely silent. Even if Enzo was lingering somewhere outside, he couldn't help her here.
She stared at the closed door of her apartment. There was a deadbolt inside, but she couldn't lock it when she left for the day. The lock on the door was pathetically easy to pick. Even she could probably do it. She had never worried about it, because she had nothing worth stealing. But if someone wanted to get in, it would be far too easy.
The keys were in her right hand, but she hesitated before putting them in the lock. What if Douglas was waiting inside, ready to force Wendy's location out of her? She could call Enzo. His number was still in her phone — she never deleted it. But after the speech she had made about not needing him, calling him now would mean swallowing her pride. She had swallowed plenty of pride in her life, though. What was one more time?
She clenched her keys, pushed aside her doubts, and turned the lock. Her heart thudded as she pushed the door open. For a moment, she honestly expected something to jump out at her. She cursed herself for not having her mace ready. But inside, everything was silent. No one was waiting. No one jumped out. No one was there at all.
"Hello?" she called out, as if an intruder would politely answer.
There was no reply. She was alone. Maybe Douglas hadn't put it together yet. She closed the door behind her and locked the deadbolt. She told herself she was safe. But the trap was already being set somewhere else.
Later, everything felt almost normal. Millie was at Brock's apartment, eating pad Thai across from him in his tiny dining area. Brock shoved a forkful of noodles into his mouth and asked, out of nowhere, "You know, a part-time receptionist position opened up at my law firm. Are you interested?"
The offer caught her off guard. She looked around his apartment, at this safe, ordinary life he was offering her. The Garricks' penthouse had a legitimate dining room, but most apartments in New York had only a small space off the living room. Brock's place was considered large by Manhattan standards. Hers wasn't — her kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom were basically one room.
Brock could have afforded better if he wanted. His parents were wealthy, upper-class people, but not insanely rich like Douglas Garrick. Still, Brock refused to take their money. It was enough that they paid for his Ivy League degrees, he said. Now it was up to him to earn his own living.
Millie respected him for that. He really was a great guy. And as the food sat between them, she wondered if she should let herself fall into this quiet, steady, ordinary life. She could take the receptionist job. She could forget about Douglas, and Wendy, and all the secrets that followed her around like ghosts.
But she already knew it wouldn't be that easy. The past had a way of finding her. And the trap she feared wasn't in her apartment anymore. It was already closing around her.
Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:
This chapter is a masterpiece of quiet dread. While not much happens on the surface, Freida McFadden turns a simple walk up the stairs into a heart-pounding ordeal. I loved the emotional tension between Millie and Enzo — you can feel the history, the longing, and the stubborn pride between them. And then there's Brock, offering her a normal, safe future, completely unaware of the storm in her head. The contrast made me more anxious for Millie, not less. This chapter is tense, deeply human, and brilliantly unsettling. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars
Next Chapter Prediction:
I have a strong feeling Douglas Garrick is about to strike. With Wendy gone, he will start digging into everyone who could have helped her — and Millie is right in his line of sight. Watch out for a dangerous confrontation where Douglas tries to charm, threaten, or force the truth out of her. And Millie might finally realize that swallowing her pride and calling Enzo could be the only thing that saves her. I think the next chapter is going to explode.
Call-to-Action:
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