Chapter 25 Summary: The Housemaid Is Watching
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Millie Accardi is at work when she receives a call from her children’s school. The sight of the caller ID instantly triggers dread—school calls never bring good news. The last time she got such a call, two years ago, her son Nico had broken his arm after falling from a jungle gym.
She is in the middle of a tense phone conversation with an anxious family and cannot break away quickly. By the time she finishes, the school call has gone to voicemail. She listens to the message from Margaret Corkum, the principal of Frost Elementary, whose flat, unfriendly voice requests an immediate call back. Millie dials with a shaking hand.
Principal Corkum answers. After identifying herself, Millie asks what is wrong. The principal confirms that Nico is fine but insists she come to the school right away. She adds that Millie’s husband, Enzo, is already on his way. The news that the school called both parents deepens Millie’s alarm. She checks her watch—she has a patient-family meeting in twenty minutes—but decides she must prioritize her family. She arranges for coverage and heads to the school.
Key Events
- Millie sees a missed call from the school and feels immediate fear.
- She recalls the previous emergency call about Nico’s broken arm.
- After finishing her work call, she listens to the voicemail from Principal Corkum.
- Millie calls back and learns that Nico is physically fine but the principal wants an in-person meeting.
- Enzo has already been contacted and is on his way to the school.
- Millie cancels her patient appointment and leaves work to join him.
Character Development
- Millie Accardi: Her maternal anxiety is sharpened by past trauma. The call triggers a visceral panic that she cannot suppress, and she prioritizes family over professional obligations. Her momentary hesitation—stuck on a work call—shows the tension between her roles as a mother and a social worker (or similar profession).
- Enzo Accardi: Though absent from the scene, his immediate compliance (heading to the school without hesitation) suggests a shared parenting partnership and a similar level of concern.
- Principal Margaret Corkum: Her measured, impersonal tone and refusal to give details over the phone establish her as a figure of institutional authority who values in-person communication, possibly to control the narrative.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Parental Fear: The chapter captures the instantaneous terror that accompanies a call from a child’s school. The memory of Nico’s broken arm reinforces that such calls are always linked to harm, heightening the stakes.
- Trust and Uncertainty: The principal’s insistence on meeting in person erodes any reassurance Millie might feel. The hidden nature of the problem (Nico is “fine” yet summoned) creates a gap between official safety and parental worry.
- Work vs. Family: Millie’s decision to cancel her meeting underscores the theme that family crises override professional commitments. This choice also adds to her stress, implying possible consequences at work.
Why This Chapter Matters
This short, tense chapter is a turning point in the novel’s suspense. It introduces a new crisis involving Millie’s son that is separate from the household dangers of the main plot. By escalating the stakes for the family unit, the author deepens the emotional investment and prepares the reader for a revelation that may connect to earlier mysteries. The cliffhanger of both parents racing to the school sets up the next chapter’s urgent scene.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Millie’s reaction to the school call reveal about her past experiences?
Her immediate panic and the specific memory of Nico’s broken arm show that she associates school calls with physical injury and emergency. This prior trauma makes her hypervigilant and primes her to expect the worst.
2. Why does the principal insist on an in-person meeting rather than explaining over the phone?
Principal Corkum likely wants to control the flow of information and ensure that both parents hear the message simultaneously. It also allows her to observe their reactions and to handle a potentially sensitive situation in a formal setting, avoiding miscommunication or escalation.
3. How does the author build suspense in this brief scene?
The author uses the delayed voicemail, the flat tone of the principal’s voice, the mention that Enzo was called first, and the refusal to give details. Each element raises unanswered questions: What did Nico do? Why does it require both parents? The chapter ends before any answers are revealed, leaving the reader in a state of uneasy anticipation.