The Housemaid's Secret

In an attempt to convince Millie that Douglas abuses her, Wendy creates bruises on her face with makeup. Wendy learns this skill from YouTube videos and perfects them in the bathroom mirror in her bathroom in the penthouse apartment. Wendy makes them more authentic by convincing Russell to punch her, causing a nosebleed that enables her to leave a bloody handprint in the bathroom for Millie to find. These bruises are a motif that support the theme of Using Domestic Violence to Manipulate Others.

Wendy goes to a lot of trouble to convince Millie she is being abused. Not only does she make a full face of bruises the first time she allows Millie to see her whole face, but she also alters the bruises over time to make them appear they are healing. Wendy also applies a new bruise on her cheek in the aftermath of her attempt to escape Douglas. Wendy fully embraces the playacting associated with manipulating Millie into falling for Wendy’s domestic violence situation. But Wendy’s overreliance on the spectacle of facial bruises points to her entire scheme as sensationalized and not based in real experiences of domestic violence.