Reborn to Save My Daughter The Cellar Conspiracy

During the New Year's Day holiday, my husband took me and our daughter back to his hometown.

My in-laws hosted me warmly, and a group of kids whisked my daughter off to play hide-and-seek.

By lunchtime, she still hadn't come back. Her phone watch had malfunctioned.

We searched everywhereand found her black-and-purple corpse in the cellar.

I ran to the police station, but my in-laws' entire family dragged me back.

"Maya was just too playful. She hid in the wrong place. You can't blame anyone."

I fought to break free and call the police, but they locked me in the cellar. I suffocated to death.

When I opened my eyes again, it was 15 minutes before we'd left.

I yanked open the car door. My daughtersent ahead of timesat obediently in her car seat.

Terror seized me. Was I going to relive the whole thing?

"Why did you bring Maya back?"

My voice shook as I climbed into the back seat and pulled her tight against me.

Austin Mason started the car. "Mom and Dad missed her. We're working through the holiday anywaygood chance to let them see their granddaughter."

"But my mom missed her too. She called specifically to ask Maya to stay with her."

"If you're working, I'll take Maya myself. It's freezing in your hometown. She just got over the flushe shouldn't go."

I grabbed the door handle and lifted my daughter, ready to leave.

Austin locked the doors and shot me a look. "Zoey, your mom lives in the building right behind us. She sees Maya every day. My parents don't have that."

"Last year I wanted to bring Maya back, and you said she was too young. My parents didn't get to see her."

"They came all the way from the countryside, and you said she's shy around strangers. They still didn't get to see her."

"Zoey, Maya is a Mason. I get that you mind that my parents are from the village"

"That's not what I mean." I cut him off. "Maya's been sickly since she was born. She's shy. I wasn't trying to keep your parents from seeing her."

Austin's expression darkened. "I know you want what's best for her. But my parents would never hurt her."

My heart lurched. I thought of the hide-and-seek that killed my daughter in my previous life.

The moment we arrived, my in-laws and Austin's three younger sisters swarmed around measking after my health, fussing over me with exaggerated warmth.

Maya was surrounded by kids, snacks pressed into her hands from every direction.

Her cheeks flushed pink. She was beaming.

"Maya, come to Mommy. It's warm inside."

She waved her little hand. "No! Maya wants to play hide-and-seek with the big brothers and sisters."

She'd always been fragile. Afraid she'd trip and hurt herself, I started to refuse.

Austin's oldest sister, Leah, tugged my arm. "Zoey, you baby her too much. City kids are always getting sick because they never play outside."

His second sister, Jessica, chimed in. "Don't worry. They're all family. No one would dare bully Maya."

His youngest sister, Daisy, pointed at a boy about Maya's age. "Tommy, you're the big brothertake good care of little sister Maya."

The boy grabbed my daughter's hand and ran off.

I'd been an only child my whole life. I'd never known thissiblings looking out for each other, cousins playing together.

Seeing Maya so happy, I let her go.

By lunchtime, all the other kids had come back.

Only my daughter was missing. Her phone watch showed no location.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I tore through the entire village with my husband's family.

In the cellar at the south end of town, we found her. Her whole body was black and purple.

I ran straight for the police station.

But my husband's family dragged me back.

Austin's voice was flat, indifferentand my heart stopped cold.

Ignoring their attempts to stop me, I fought to call the policebut they locked me in the same cellar where my daughter died.

I suffocated. Buried alive.

"Mom, when are we going to Grandma's house? Dad said Tommy's gonna take me to play hide-and-seek."

Those three words hit me like lightning. Every hair on my body stood on end.

Austin smiled at my daughter. "Don't worry, Maya. We'll be at Grandma's in an hour. You can play hide-and-seek with Tommy when we get there."

The car sped along while my mind raced. I couldn't read Austin's expression, couldn't tell if he knew what was coming. But this time, I would not let my daughter play that game.

After Maya fell asleep, I scrolled through my WeChat contacts. Thereshe lived nearby. She could help. I snapped a photo of my daughter and sent it. When the reply came back confirmed, the weight crushing my chest finally eased.

The car stopped, just like before. Austin's entire family was already waiting at the door. That group of kids stood there holding snacks, waiting for my daughter.

"Maya, we're at Grandma's house. Wake up, little sleepyhead."

Austin gently roused her, looking every bit the loving father. Maya rubbed her eyes and climbed out of the car, beaming.

The second my feet hit the ground, my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law grabbed my arms and pulled me toward the house.

"Maya, come inside with Mom. It's warm in there."

My daughter obediently reached for my hand. Just as I was about to grab her, Austin cut between us.

He scooped her into his arms and pointed at the waiting children. "Maya, didn't you always want to play with Tommy? Lookhe and the others have yummy snacks for you."

Lollipops. Spicy strips. Potato chips. All the things I never let her eat. Her eyes lit up instantly.

When I reached for her again, she pulled back. "Mom, I don't wanna go inside. I wanna play hide-and-seek with the big kids."

"It's cold out. If you want to play, Mom will come with you in a bit."

My mother-in-law smiled. "Xinxin, you can't baby Maya so much. Country kids walk to school alone by five. Spoil them too much and they'll never grow up."

Her words opened the floodgates. All three sisters-in-law chimed in, taking turns to persuade me. Hearing the exact same lines from my past life, my lips wouldn't stop trembling.

"Mom, I'm not cold. I wanna play hide-and-seek with Tommy."

Maya's arms were already full of snacks. Austin produced a scarf and hat, bundling her up. "Go on, baby. Have fun."

I watched my daughter walk out the front gate with that group of kids. My heart pounded against my ribs. My phone stayed silent. No messages.

What if this time, even after everything I'd done, I still couldn't save her?

"Xinxin, stop staring at your phone. You don't visit oftenchat with Leah and the others."

My mother-in-law called Austin to help in the kitchen. The three sisters-in-law stuck to me like shadows, watching my every move.

"I need the bathroom."

Clutching my stomach, I grabbed my phone and headed for the toilet. Daisy followed. "I'll come with you, sister-in-law. The outhouse takes some getting used to."

It was an outdoor pit toilet. Daisy waited on the other side of the wall.

"I'm here. Found Maya."

When that message came through, the knot in my chest finally loosened.

"Waithere's a map I drew from memory. Stay put."

This time, I was going to find out exactly who wanted to hurt my daughter.

After I sent the map, the reply came. I shook the numbness from my legs and walked out.

"Sister-in-law, you took forever."

Daisy hooked her arm through mine and steered me back toward the house without stopping.

The moment I stepped through the door, Leah snatched my phone from my hand and pulled me toward the card table.

"Zoey, we'll teach you if you don't know how to play. It's New Year'swhat's the point of staring at your phone all day?"

The automatic mahjong table kept spinning. Every few minutes, my eyes drifted to the wall clock.

"It's already eleven. Maya must be hungry. I'm going to go find her."

The second I stood up, my mother-in-law swept in from the kitchen with a plate of fruit and pressed me back onto the stool.

"Zoey, you take care of that child by yourself all yearyou're exhausted. Today, just relax. Don't worry, Maya won't starve. There are snacks everywhere."

I looked at Austin, sprawled on the couch with his phone game. "Call Maya. Ask where she is. Tell her to come back once she's had enough fun."

He didn't even glance up. "Zoey, you need to learn to let go. It's better for Maya's development. You can't keep the kid glued to you twenty-four-seven."

Seeing my expression darken, Jessica scolded him half-heartedly.

"Zoey, don't stress. Those kids will come running the second they smell food. No need to worry."

The phone on the side table kept buzzing.

Annoyed by the interruption, Austin reached over and powered it off.

The clatter of mahjong tiles grated on my nerves.

I made an excuse about my lower back aching and stood up.

The moment I moved toward the door, my mother-in-law intercepted me.

"Zoey, if you can't sit still, go check out Jessica's place. She just built a karaoke roomhave her take you to sing a few songs."

She shot Jessica a look, signaling her to follow me out.

Looking at their facesevery single one hiding something, terrified I'd go searching for my daughterI gave up. I dropped onto the couch, cracking sunflower seeds and picking at the fruit.

When the clock struck twelve, the dread in my chest grew heavier.

In my previous life, this was exactly when all the children came back.

All except my daughter.

This time, I'd prepared in advance. Would Maya come back with them?

Chatter erupted outside the door.

"See? The kids are back."

My mother-in-law hurried over with a steaming plate of fried food.

"Who wants fries? Come here! Who wants fried chicken drumsticks? Over here!"

A swarm of children bounced around her, hands grabbing, voices clamoring.

While the three Mason sisters were distracted, I slipped the phone from the table into my pocket and positioned myself in the doorway, scanning the path to the village entrance.

Before Maya left, I'd counted.

Including her, there were ten children.

Now, only nine crowded around my mother-in-law.

"Where's Maya? Why didn't she come back?"

Just like in my previous life, my daughter was nowhere.

I questioned the children one by one.

I gripped Tommy's shouldershard. The boy, mouth still stuffed with fries, burst into loud sobs.

"Mommy, Mommy, I'm scared..."

Daisy yanked him away from me, glaring.

"Zoey, what's wrong with you? Maya wanted to keep playing and didn't come back on her ownwhy are you scaring my son?"

She pulled Tommy into her arms, cooing softly to comfort him.

I was frantic, pacing in circles like an ant on a hot pan.

"Austin, our daughter is missing. Come help me look for her."

He dragged himself off the couch, languid and unhurried. "Zoey, you're overthinking this. She's probably just having fun. She'll be back any minute."

My mother-in-law chimed in with some embarrassing story about Austin falling asleep in a grass nest as a kid.

"Back then, Austin played until he was exhausted and napped in a haystack the whole afternoon. We searched everywhere, and he still wandered home on his own eventually."

I knew exactly what they were doing. Every word, every distractionall of it was to stall for time.

The village cellar had been dug deep.

My daughter and I both suffocated to death in our previous life.

My phone buzzed twice.

Maya is with me. I found that person.

The weight crushing my chest finally lifted. I kept my voice flat. "You were right. She probably just wandered off to play."

Half an hour later, my mother-in-law muttered, "Why isn't Maya back yet? Austin, go find her. Dinner's almost ready."

Austin yanked me up from the couch where I'd been calmly watching TV.

"Our daughter is still missing and you're sitting here watching TV?"

I shot him a look of pure contempt. "Weren't you the one who said kids just want to play? That she'd be back any minute?"

He stared at me, caught off guard, mouth opening

I cut him off. "What? Is listening to you suddenly wrong too?"

My mother-in-law glared daggers at me. "No wonder Maya's always sick. I've never seen such an irresponsible mother."

The whole family dragged me along as they searched the neighborhood.

Familiar streets. Familiar alleys. Asking everyone they passed.

The anxiety plastered across their faces

it was all rehearsal. A performance designed to wash away suspicion once they found my daughter's body.

"Austin, this is taking too long. Let's call the police."

He snatched the phone from my hand. "Are you insane? She's just being mischievous. Don't waste the cops' time."

"Then what? We've searched everywhere. Maya's smartwatch tracker isn't working."

Tears welled in my eyes as I pressed him, voice cracking with worry.

"Keep searching. The neighborhood's only so bigwhere could she possibly hide?"

My mother-in-law slapped her forehead like something just occurred to her. "The only place we haven't checked is that old cellar at the edge of the neighborhood. That little brat wouldn't have crawled in there, would she?"

The group jogged toward the cellar.

The moment the wooden cover lifted, a phone flashlight cut through the pitch-black darkness.

My daughter's cartoon down jacket.

"Mayais that Maya?"

A tiny body lay beneath the jacket. My heart seized.

No. It couldn't be.

This wasn't my daughter.

Austin strode forward and picked up the smartwatchcrushed, like someone had stomped on it.

He arranged his face into grief.

"It's Maya. How did she end up in here?"

Even knowing that wasn't my daughter under those clothes, tears still streamed down my face.

"Zoey, this was an accident. She must have been hiding so we couldn't find her and got stuck."

Austin held me as I crumpled, playing the devastated wife.

I lifted my gaze to meet his. "How do you know that's our daughter?"

He froze. "That jacketI dressed her in it myself this morning. And I bought her that smartwatch."

"If it's not her, who else could it be?"

Good question. I was wondering the same thing.

Ten kids went out to play. Nine came home.

My daughter was rescued.

So whose child was this?

"Call the police. We have to call the police. I want justice for this child."

I screamed until my voice broke. Austin and Jessica pinned my arms down, stopping me from dialing.

"Zoey, it's New Year'sdo you have to make trouble?"

"Maya was too playful and hid in the wrong place. You can't blame anyone."

Those familiar words sent ice flooding through my veins.

My instincts were right.

My daughter's death in that cellar wasn't an accident.

It was a trap. Planned by this entire family.

But why?

"Austin, how are you so certain the body down there is Maya?"

"Who else would it be? The jacket matches. The watch matches. It has to be her."

A cold laugh escaped me. "So you really were hoping the dead one would be Maya."

I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.