The Housemaid Chapter 39 Summary: Waking Up with Andrew
⚠️ 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 wakes up in the guest bedroom beside Andrew. They chose this room because Millie refused to sleep in the bed Nina had used the night before. Andrew is affectionate and tells Millie he wants a real relationship. He insists she should no longer work as his maid—he will hire someone else—and invites her to stay permanently, despite her criminal record. Later, a blocked number calls Millie repeatedly; she suspects it is Nina and declines the calls. Andrew notices Enzo, the landscaper, working in the garden yet again and decides to fire him. When Andrew goes inside, Enzo drops his broken-English act and speaks fluent English, grabbing Millie’s arm. He warns her sharply that she is in grave danger, adding “She is not…” before Andrew interrupts. Millie is left shaken and confused by Enzo’s sudden transformation and ominous words.
Key Events
- Millie and Andrew wake up together in the guest bedroom, their first morning after Nina’s departure.
- Andrew declares that he wants Millie as a partner, not a servant, and offers her a permanent place in his home.
- Millie receives two calls from a blocked number; she refuses to answer, fearing it might be Nina.
- Andrew confronts Enzo about his constant presence in the garden and abruptly fires him.
- Enzo reveals his full command of English and warns Millie that she is in serious danger, cutting himself off before he can finish.
Character Development
Millie grows more comfortable with her new role as Andrew’s romantic interest. She enjoys the luxury of the guest bedroom and begins to imagine a future without Nina. At the same time, her anxiety about Nina’s possible return and her own past continues to surface.
Andrew becomes more possessive and protective. He fires Enzo on a whim, suggesting paranoia about anyone who might threaten his new arrangement with Millie. His willingness to elevate Millie from maid to partner also shows his desire to reshape his life after Nina.
Enzo undergoes a dramatic shift. The character previously presented as a barely English-speaking Italian landscaper is now revealed to be fluent and astute. His warning indicates he knows more about the household’s dangers than he has let on, and his sudden change of language hints at a concealed identity or purpose.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Deception and Hidden Identities – Enzo’s broken English was a mask. His true fluency and urgent warning suggest he has been observing the household for reasons beyond gardening. The blocked phone calls also raise the theme of unseen threats.
- Danger and Entrapment – Millie feels safe now that Nina is gone, but Enzo’s warning upends that feeling. The chapter makes clear that danger has not passed; it may be closer than she thinks.
- Class and Power – Andrew’s decision to stop treating Millie as a maid is framed as romantic, but it also underscores his control over her fate. He can alter her status with a word, just as he can dismiss Enzo.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a pivot point in the novel. Millie’s relationship with Andrew deepens, but the mysterious blocked calls and Enzo’s shocking warning inject new tension. Enzo’s revelation that he speaks English fluently and his cryptic warning (“She is not…”) directly undercut any sense of resolution after Nina’s departure. The chapter raises the question of who really poses the threat—and whether Millie has misjudged the situation entirely.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Andrew fire Enzo? Andrew fires Enzo because he feels the landscaper spends an excessive amount of time on the property. This suspicion may reflect Andrew’s general paranoia about outsiders intruding on his new life with Millie.
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What is the significance of the blocked phone calls? The calls come from a “Blocked Number” right after Nina’s departure. Millie refuses to answer, afraid that it is Nina trying to re-establish contact. The unanswered calls suggest that Nina is not willing to let go and that the threat she represents is still active.
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What does Enzo’s warning reveal about his character and the story’s direction? Enzo suddenly speaks fluent English, exposing his earlier broken speech as a disguise. His urgent warning that Millie is in “grave danger” and his unfinished sentence (“She is not…”) imply he knows something critical about either Nina or Andrew. This revelation reorients the plot, hinting that Millie may have misidentified the real source of peril.