Chapter 70 of The Housemaid's Secret: Murder in the Dark
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens with the narrator discovering that Russell has been murdered — his throat slit — while she was briefly away from the bathroom. She immediately recalls seeing an open window earlier and realizes someone entered the cabin. The likely suspect is Millie, whom the narrator previously framed and who has a violent past that the police could not contain.
Calling out Millie’s name yields no reply. The cabin lights go out, and the narrator believes the power has been intentionally cut. Her phone remains in the kitchen, probably already taken by Millie. Desperate to reason with her, the narrator apologizes and insists that her former husband Douglas was abusive, but Millie remains silent. Glass shatters elsewhere, and a flash of lightning reveals a path to the kitchen. The narrator sprints there, hoping to find a knife or a frying pan as a weapon, but the knife block is empty and the floor is slick with Russell’s blood. She hears Millie’s footsteps drawing closer, confirming that her enemy is now in the kitchen with her.
Key Events
- The narrator returns to find Russell dead, his throat cut.
- She connects the open window and Millie’s disappearance.
- The cabin’s power is cut, plunging the room into total darkness.
- The narrator apologizes and tries to explain Douglas’s abuse, but Millie does not respond.
- A lightning flash allows the narrator to make a dash for the kitchen.
- The kitchen floor is covered in blood; the knife block is empty.
- The narrator hears Millie’s footsteps entering the kitchen, signaling an imminent confrontation.
Character Development
- The Narrator: Her survival instincts sharpen as she moves from guilt and apology to desperate, tactical thinking. She acknowledges her betrayal of Millie and admits her own fear, yet resolves to fight back rather than surrender.
- Millie: Though she does not speak in this chapter, her actions convey cold, methodical rage. She has murdered Russell, disabled the power, removed weapons, and now stalks the narrator in the dark. Millie is portrayed as a formidable, vengeful presence.
- Russell: His death is swift and offscreen, serving as a shocking proof of Millie’s capability. His role is that of a victim whose murder raises the stakes.
- Audrey (mentioned): Her earlier warning about Millie being “hardcore” and “dangerous” is validated, adding weight to the narrator’s terror.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Darkness as Fear and Equality: The power outage strips away the narrator’s advantages, forcing both women to rely on instinct. The dark also symbolizes the narrator’s moral blindness after betraying Millie.
- Blood: Russell’s blood on the kitchen floor becomes a literal and figurative stain on the narrator’s plan. It signals that violence has already been done and more may follow.
- The Missing Knife: The empty knife block represents the loss of the narrator’s last hope for a weapon. It emphasizes Millie’s foresight and total control of the situation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the climax of the cabin confrontation. It resolves the suspense that built over previous chapters, delivering Russell’s death and confirming Millie as a killer. The narrator’s survival hangs in the balance, and the chapter ends on a cliffhanger that forces readers to wait for the next installment. It also cements the moral complexity: the narrator is both victim and perpetrator, having betrayed Millie earlier. The theme of betrayal-revenge reaches its peak.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator believe Millie is the murderer?
She recalls that the police could not find Millie, who has a violent history. The open window and Millie’s disappearance after the murder point to her. The narrator also feels Millie has a personal vendetta after being framed.
2. How does the chapter use the setting to heighten tension?
The remote cabin, the storm outside, and the sudden loss of electric light turn a familiar space into a trap. The darkness makes every sound (glass breaking, footsteps) more threatening, and the kitchen — usually a place of safety — becomes a death trap slick with blood.
3. What does the narrator’s decision to sprint for the kitchen reveal about her character?
It shows that she is willing to abandon negotiation and fight physically. Despite her fear and guilt, she is not passive; she wants to survive and will use violence if needed. This marks a shift from her earlier apologetic tone.