I have Sunday off, so I spend the day out of the house. Itโs a beautiful summer dayโnot too hot and not too coolโso I drive over to the local park and sit on a bench and read my book. When youโre in prison, you forget those simple pleasures. Just going outside and reading at the park. Sometimes you want it so bad, itโs physically painful.
Iโm never going back there. Never.
I grab a bite to eat at a fast-food drive-through, then I drive back to the house. The Winchester estate is really beautiful. Even though Iโm starting to despise Nina, I canโt hate that house. Itโs a beautiful house.
I park on the street like always and walk up to the front door of the house. The sky has been darkening during my entire drive home, and just as I get to the door, the clouds break open and droplets of rain cascade out of the sky. I wrench the door open and slip inside before I get drenched. When I get into the living room, Nina is sitting on the sofa in semi-darkness. Sheโs not doing anything there. Sheโs not reading, sheโs not watching TV. Sheโs just sitting there. And when I open the door, her eyes snap to
attention.
โNina?โ I say. โEverything okay?โ
โNot really.โ She glances over at the other end of the sofa, and now I notice sheโs got a stack of clothing next to
her. Itโs the same clothing that she insisted I take from her when I first started working here. โWhat isย myย clothing doing in your room?โ
I stare at her as a flash of lightning brightens the room. โWhat? What are you talking about? You gave me those clothes.โ
โI gave them to you!โ She lets out a barking laugh that echoes through the room, only partially drowned out by the crack of thunder. โWhy would I give myย maidย clothing worth thousands of dollars?โ
โYouโโmy legs tremble beneath meโโyou said they were too small on you. You insisted that I take them.โ
โHow could you lie like that?โ She takes a step toward me, her blue eyes like ice. โYou stole my clothing! Youโre a thief!โ
โNoโฆโ I reach out for something before my legs give out under me. But I grasp only air. โI would never do that.โ
โHa!โ She snorts. โThatโs what I get for trusting a convict to work in my home!โ
Sheโs loud enough that Andrew hears the commotion. He dashes out of his office and I see his handsome face at the top of the stairs, lit by another bolt of lightning. Oh God, what is he going to think of me? Itโs bad enough that he knows about my prison record. I donโt want him to think I stole from his own house.
โNina?โ He takes the stairs down two at a time. โWhatโs going on here?โ
โIโll tell you whatโs going on!โ she announces triumphantly. โMillie here has been stealing from my closet. She stole all this clothing from me. I found it in her closet.โ
Andrewโs eyes slowly grow wide. โSheโฆโ
โI didnโt steal anything!โ Tears prick at my eyes. โI swear to you. Nina gave me those clothes. She said they didnโt fit her.โ
โAs if we would believe your lies.โ She sneers at me. โI should call the police on you. Do you know what this
clothing is worth?โ
โNo, please donโtโฆโ
โOh, right.โ Nina laughs at the expression on my face. โYouโre on parole, arenโt you? Something like this would send you right back to prison.โ
Andrew is looking down at the clothing on the couch, a deep crease between his eyebrows. โNinaโฆโ
โIโm going to call them.โ Nina whips her phone out of her purse. โGod knows what else she stole from us, right, Andy?โ
โNina.โ He lifts his eyes from the stack of clothing. โMillie didnโt steal this clothing. I remember you emptying your closet. You put it all in trash bags and said you were donating it.โ He picks up a tiny white dress. โYou havenโt been able to fit into this inย years.โ
Itโs gratifying the way Ninaโs cheeks turn pink. โWhat are you saying? That Iโm tooย fat?โ
He ignores her remark. โIโm saying thereโs no way she stole this from you. Why are you doing this to her?โ
Her mouth falls open. โAndyโฆโ
Andrew looks over at me, hovering by the sofa. โMillie.โ His voice is gentle when he says my name. โWould you go upstairs and give us some privacy? I need to talk to Nina.โ
โYes, of course,โ I agree. Gladly.
The two of them stand there in silence while I mount the flight of stairs to the second floor. When I reach the top, I go over to the doorway to the attic and I open the door. For a moment, I stand there, contemplating my next move. Then I close the door without going through.
Much quieter this time, I creep over to the head of the stairs. I stand at the edge of the hallway, just before the stairwell. I canโt see Nina and Andrew, but I can hear their voices. Itโs wrong to eavesdrop, but I canโt help myself. After all, this conversation will almost certainly involve Ninaโs accusations about me.
I hope Andrew continues to defend me, even when Iโm out of the room. Will she convince him that I stole her clothes? I am, after all, a convict. You make one mistake in life, and nobody ever trusts you again.
โโฆ didnโt take these dresses,โ Andrew is saying. โI know she didnโt.โ
โHow could you take her side over mine?โ Nina shoots back. โThe girl was in prison. You canโt trust somebody like that. Sheโs a liar and a thief, and she probably deserves to be back in prison.โ
โHow could you say something like that? Millie has been wonderful.โ
โYes, Iโm sureย youย think so.โ
โWhen did you become so cruel, Nina?โ His voice trembles. โYouโve changed. Youโre a different person now.โ
โEveryone changes,โ she spits at him.
โNo.โ His voice lowers so that I have to strain to hear it over the sound of raindrops falling outside and hitting the pavement. โNot like you. I donโt even recognize you anymore. Youโre not the same person I fell in love with.โ
Thereโs a long silence, broken by a bolt of thunder that cracks loud enough to shake the foundations of the house. Once itโs faded, I hear Ninaโs next words loud and clear.
โWhat are you saying, Andy?โ
โIโm sayingโฆ I donโt think Iโm in love with you anymore, Nina. I think we should separate.โ
โYouโre not in love with me anymore?โ she bursts out. โHow can you say that?โ
โIโm sorry. I was just going along with things, living our lives, and I didnโt even realize how unhappy I was.โ
Nina is quiet for a long time as she absorbs his words. โDoes this have to do with Millie?โ
I hold my breath waiting to hear his answer. There was something between us that night in New York, but Iโm not going to kid myself that heโs leaving Nina because of me.
โThis isnโt about Millie,โ he finally says.
โReally? So are you going to lie to my face and pretend nothing ever happened between you and her?โ
Damn. She knows. Or at least, she thinks she knows.
โI have feelings for Millie,โ he says in a voice so quiet, Iโm sure I mustโve imagined it. How could this rich, handsome,ย marriedย man have feelings forย me? โBut thatโs not what this is about. This is about you and me. I donโt love you anymore.โ
โThis is bullshit!โ The pitch of Ninaโs voice is going up to the point where soon only dogs will be able to hear her. โYouโre leaving me for ourย maid! This is the most ridiculous thing Iโve ever heard. This is anย embarrassmentย to you. Youโre better than this, Andrew.โ
โNina.โ His tone is firm. โItโs over. Iโm sorry.โ
โSorry?โ Another crack of thunder shakes the floorboards. โOh, you donโt know what sorry isโฆโ
Thereโs a pause. โExcuseย me?โ
โIf you try to go through with this,โ she growls at him, โI will destroy you in court. I will make sure you are left penniless and homeless.โ
โHomeless? This isย myย home, Nina. I bought it before we even knew each other. Iย allowย you to stay here. We have a prenup, as you recall, and after our marriage ends, it will be mine again.โ He pauses again. โAnd now Iโd like you to leave.โ
I hazard a look around the stairwell. If I crouch, I can make out Nina standing in the center of the living room, her face pale. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish. โYou canโt be serious about this, Andy,โ she sputters.
โI am very serious.โ
โButโฆโ She clutches her chest. โWhat about Cece?โ
โCece isย yourย daughter. You never wanted me to adopt her.โ
It sounds like sheโs speaking through gritted teeth. โOh, I see what this is about. Itโs because I canโt have another
baby. You want somebody younger, who can give you a child. Iโm not good enough anymore.โ
โThatโs not what this is about,โ he says. Although on some level, maybe it is. Andrew does want another child. And he canโt have that with Nina.
Her voice trembles. โAndy, please donโt do this to meโฆ Donโt humiliate me this way.ย Please.โ
โIโd like you to leave, Nina. Right now.โ โBut itโs raining!โ
Andrewโs voice doesnโt waver. โPack a bag and get out.โ
I can almost hear her weighing her options. Whatever else I can say about Nina Winchester, sheโs not stupid. Finally, her shoulders sag. โFine. Iโll leave.โ
Ninaโs footsteps thud in the direction of the stairs. It occurs to me a second too late that I need to move out of sight. Nina lifts her eyes and sees me standing at the top of the stairs. Her eyes burn with anger like nothing Iโve ever seen. I should run back to my room, but my legs feel frozen as her heels bite into the steps one by one.
The lightning flashes one last time when she reaches the top of the stairs, and the glow on her face makes her look like sheโs standing at the gates of hell.
โDoโฆโ My lips feel numb, itโs almost hard to form the words. โDo you need help packing?โ
Thereโs such venom in her eyes, Iโm afraid sheโs going to reach into my chest and yank my heart out with her bare hands. โDo I need helpย packing? No, I believe I can manage.โ
Nina goes into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. I am not sure what to do. I could go up to the attic, but then I look downstairs where Andrew is still in the living room. Heโs looking up at me, so I descend the stairs to talk to him.
โIโm so sorry!โ My words come out in a rush. โI didnโt mean toโฆโ
โDonโt you dare blame yourself,โ he says. โThis was a long time coming.โ
I glance at the window, which is drenched with rain. โDo you want me toโฆ go?โ
โNo,โ he says. โI want you to stay.โ
He touches my arm and a tingle goes through me. All I can think is that I want him to kiss me, but he canโt do it right now. Not with Nina right upstairs.
But soon sheโll be gone.
About ten minutes later, Nina comes down the stairs, struggling with a bag on each shoulder. Yesterday, she would have made me carry those and laughed at how weak I was. Now she has to do it herself. When I look up at her, her eyes are puffy and her hair is disheveled. She looks terrible. I donโt think I realized exactly how old she was until this moment.
โPlease donโt do this, Andy,โ she begs him. โPlease.โ
A muscle twitches in his jaw. The thunder cracks again, but itโs softer than it was before. The storm is moving away. โIโll help you put your bags in the car.โ
She chokes back a sob. โDonโt bother.โ
She trudges over to the door to the garage thatโs just off the side of the living room, struggling with her heavy bags. Andrew tries to reach out to help her, but she shrugs him away. She fumbles to get the door open to the garage. Instead of putting her bags down, sheโs trying to juggle them both and get the door open. It takes her several minutes, and I finally canโt stand it anymore. I sprint over to the door, and before she can stop me, I turn the knob and throw it open for her.
โGee,โ she says. โThanksย soย much.โ
I donโt know how to respond. I just stand there as she pushes past me with her bags. Just before she goes through the door, she leans in close to meโso close that I can feel her hot breath on my neck.
โI willย neverย forget this, Millie,โ she hisses in my ear.
My heart flutters in my chest. Her words echo in my ears as she tosses her bags into the back of her white Lexus, and then zooms out of the garage.
She left the garage door open. I can see the rain pouring down onto the driveway as a gust of wind whips me in the face. I stand there for a moment, watching Ninaโs car disappear into the distance. I nearly jump when an arm encircles my shoulders.
Of course, itโs just Andrew. โAre you okay?โ he asks me.
Heโs so wonderful. After that miserable scene, heโs considerate enough to ask me how Iโm doing. โIโm okay. How about you?โ
He sighs. โThat couldโve gone better. But it had to be like that. I couldnโt keep living that way. I didnโt love her anymore.โ
I look back out at the garage. โIs she going to be okay?
Where is she going to stay?โ
He waves a hand. โSheโs got a credit card. Sheโll just get a hotel room. Donโt worry about Nina.โ
Except Iย amย worried about Nina. Iโm very worried about Nina. But not in the way he thinks.
He lets go of my shoulders to hit the button to close the garage door. He grabs my hand to pull me away, but I keep watching the garage door until it closes completely, certain Ninaโs car will reappear at the last moment.
โCome on, Millie.โ Thereโs a glint in Andrewโs eyes. โIโve been waiting to get you alone.โ
Despite everything, I smile. โYou have?โ โYou have no ideaโฆโ
He pulls me in for a kiss, and as I melt against him, the thunder cracks once again. I imagine I can still hear Ninaโs car engine in the distance. But thatโs impossible. Sheโs gone.
For good.