The Maid: A Psychological Thriller by Rachel Hargrove

Author:Rachel Hargrove [Hargrove, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

I don’t sleep. I can’t. I’m going crazy. It’s this basement. The low ceilings and lack of windows trigger my claustrophobia, and the cold doesn’t help me relax.

Jack’s latest threat has me rattled, which is the point. The Neanderthal wants to get rid of me. Unfortunately for him, I don’t respond well to threats. My gut reaction is to dig in my heels and fight. Why should I leave? He’s the unreasonable one. He’s a controlling, abusive monster who deserves to be punished. If I don’t stand up to him, it’ll embolden his behavior. He’ll abuse the next maid.

I spend the evening fantasizing about life without Jack. No more living in a dank cave with spotty Wi-Fi that never works. I envision breaking the news to Naomi about Blake, her excitement, followed by a tearful embrace and a promise that I’ll always have a family. This could work—if Jack is out of the picture. I’ll think of a plan.

I get out of bed, shoving my feet into slippers. Then I climb the staircase, opening the door to a swell of warmth. I wander out of the butler’s pantry, following the blue light flickering over tiles. I peek inside the family room.

Naomi sits on the chaise lounge, curled up in a throw beside Jack, who types on his laptop. She picks baby carrots from a bowl and dips them in hummus. Bites. Sips her white wine.

Hidden in the corridor, I watch them.

“Jack, can you get me a refill?”

He stops typing. “Of course.”

“Thank you.”

Naomi holds out her empty glass as Jack slides the computer onto the coffee table. He plucks the glass from her grip and stands, the delicate stem dainty in his massive fist. He peels himself from the couch and strides into the kitchen. As he grabs the opened bottle, Naomi bursts with another request. “Actually, can you make me a martini? With a bunch of olives?”

“Sure,” he grumbles, retrieving a coupe glass from the fridge. “Want a lemon garnish?”

“Yes, please.”

He prepares the drink with laser-focused precision. All it takes is one whine from Naomi’s lips, and he’s making her a cocktail, grabbing her a snack, whatever she wants. Who is this man? It’s hard to reconcile this simp with the monster who cheats on his wife and threatens me.

When did their relationship become so toxic? The framed photos touching every wall illustrate such an innocent portrait of their love. Sweet hugs. Tender kisses. Matching tattoos. In person, they are insufferable lovebirds. After handing his wife her martini, Jack sits through an episode of The Kardashians with Naomi in his arms. After it ends, Naomi cups Jack’s cheek and strokes his beard.

“By the way, did you paint the guest room? It smelled strange in there the other day.”

“I did,” he says, infuriating me. “You said it was dirty.”

She clicks her tongue. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Anything for my baby.”

Are you kidding me? He’s taking credit for my work. I can’t believe this guy. I gape at Naomi, begging her to see through this act, but she swallows it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.