My Unborn Baby Became My Detective

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I was participating in a live escape room show with my movie star husband when he suddenly disappeared.

As I searched anxiously with my pregnant belly, I heard a voice from the baby inside:

[Mommy, don't worry! That bastard dad is hiding in the prop coffin kissing Sophia Reed!]

I froze. The baby in my belly could actually talk?

[They want to trick you into the haunted house to scare you into a miscarriage, so Sophia can take your place!]

[But Sophia has claustrophobia---she won't last long in there!]

I let out a cold laugh and immediately called everyone over:

"Everyone, come to this room! There's a clue here!"

My husband didn't know yet that he was born under an unlucky star, and all these years his bad luck had only been suppressed by my good fortune.

Since he wanted to harm me, I'd let him go back to being the unlucky bastard he was meant to be.

"Vivian, what clue did you find?"

The show's guests immediately crowded into the room when they heard there was a clue.

I pointed at the coffin in front of me and analyzed: "There are nine rooms total, and they're all basically the same. Only this room has an extra coffin."

"Maybe the key to the plot is in this coffin."

Just then, the little one's voice rang out again:

[Ahhhhh Mommy! What's in the coffin is so disgusting!]

[Bastard dad and that homewrecker Sophia aren't wearing any clothes!]

[Really, nothing at all! And they're kissing again!]

[Sophia's even saying how exciting it is---Mommy, does that sound right to you?!]

I raised my hand and rubbed my belly.

How did this three-month-old thing know so much?

This escape room variety show was the platform's major project of the year.

They'd even installed large screens in every room to display live comments in real-time.

There were six guests this episode.

My husband Adrian and I, young actress Sophia Reed, boy band members Marcus Flame and Lucas North, plus veteran actor Samuel Waters.

The storyline was about a bride who mysteriously disappeared during the Civil War era.

Samuel came over for a look: "Does this mean the bride is already dead?"

I nodded. "That's what I think too. Plus this room has a vanity table."

"Look over there---flowers, a veil. This might be her bridal chamber."

Comments scrolled across the big screen:

[Vivian is so smart, analyzing everything even with that baby bump]

[No wonder she's a top student, her brain really works]

[Yeah, but where did Adrian go? The movie star disappeared a while ago]

[Sophia's gone too]

[Did they get separated? This escape room is pretty scary]

I glanced at the coffin from the corner of my eye.

The lid was sealed tight---nothing looked unusual from the outside.

Marcus asked: "Vivian, what should we do now?"

I looked around. "Let's search this room first. There should be clues."

Samuel nodded. "Right, everyone split up and look. See if the bride left anything behind."

The two guys immediately spread out---one checking the vanity, one looking in the wardrobe.

I stood still.

My eyes kept drifting to that coffin.

The lid remained sealed tight. Nothing visible from the outside.

[Mommy, aren't you going to expose them?]

The baby's voice carried a hint of confusion.

[They're so bad! You should embarrass them in front of everyone!]

[Let everyone see what bastard dad and Sophia are doing in that coffin!]

I rubbed my belly and thought quietly: "No rush."

[Huh?]

"We'll open it when there are more people around. Better effect that way."

[Wow! Mommy, you're so evil! I love it!]

"We've checked everywhere else. Just this coffin left."

Marcus swallowed hard. "Vivian, this coffin... should we open it?"

Samuel was also looking at me, his eyes questioning.

The baby's voice rang out again.

[Mommy! Bastard dad and Sophia are freaking out!]

[Sophia's claustrophobia kicked in. She's shaking all over, keeps saying "I can't take it anymore, I need to get out"]

[Bastard dad keeps telling her to hold on just a little longer, they'll leave soon]

[He heard you talking about opening the coffin and now his face is green, he can barely breathe!]

I rubbed my belly, both amused and exasperated.

This little thing, really...

I cleared my throat. "Don't open it yet."

I wasn't ready to end this farce so quickly.

Marcus and Lucas both breathed a sigh of relief.

Neither of them really wanted to open that coffin anyway.

After all, this escape room was creepy enough. Who knew what might jump out of a coffin?

I slowly walked over to the coffin.

The lid fit perfectly---nothing visible from outside.

But I could imagine what those two inside looked like right now.

Adrian barely daring to breathe, his legs so weak he could barely stand.

Sophia curled up next to him, trembling all over.

They must be praying for us to leave quickly.

I raised my hand and knocked on the coffin lid.

Knock, knock, knock.

A muffled thud suddenly came from inside, like someone had bumped into the coffin wall.

Marcus jumped. "What was that sound?"

I pulled my hand back, looking thoughtful. "I have a feeling there's something not quite right in this coffin. Let's listen to what's going on inside."

The baby laughed hysterically:

[Ha ha ha ha ha Mommy you're so evil!]

[Bastard dad just jerked backward and hit his head on the coffin wall---now he's got a bump!]

[Sophia got knocked sideways and her face smashed right where you knocked!]

"Knock again?" Lucas was eager to try.

I nodded.

Lucas stepped forward and knocked on the coffin lid a few times, mimicking me.

Knock knock knock.

Rustling sounds came from inside the coffin, like someone desperately trying to shrink away.

"There's movement!"

Lucas got excited. "There really is something inside!"

Marcus also leaned in, pressing his ear against the coffin lid.

He lowered his voice. "I think I hear breathing!"

Samuel frowned. "Could it be a prop the production crew set up? One of those moving mannequins?"

I said: "Possibly, but it could be something else."

"What we can confirm is that this room was the last place the bride appeared."

Marcus scratched his head. "But what if there are clues in the other rooms too?"

I nodded. "So I suggest we split into two groups."

"One group searches the remaining eight rooms for clues, one group stays here on guard."

Lucas was eager. "Marcus and I will search! Young people have quick legs!"

Samuel looked at me. "Then we'll stay and watch their progress on the big screen."

Only Samuel and I remained in the room, along with that coffin.

Comments kept scrolling on the big screen:

[They split up, they split up]

[Go Marcus and Lucas]

[Wait, only Vivian and Samuel are left in this room?]

[So where did Adrian and Sophia actually go?]

[Right! Our Sophia baby hasn't had a single shot!]

[Maybe they triggered some hidden storyline!]

[Didn't you see the movie star isn't around either? Must be a side quest]

Samuel walked to the big screen and pulled up Marcus and Lucas's viewpoints.

The screen split into eight small boxes, corresponding to the remaining eight rooms.

Marcus and Lucas were searching through boxes and cabinets looking for clues.

I walked over beside him to watch the screen together.

The baby's voice popped up again, as excited as if watching a soap opera.

[Mommy, mommy! Bastard dad and Sophia are fighting!]

[Sophia's cursing at bastard dad, saying it's all his fault for insisting they hide in the coffin, and now look---people are guarding outside and they can't get out!]

[Bastard dad asked what can we do then, should we go out now? How would we explain it?]

[Sophia said I really feel terrible! This coffin is too small, I really can't breathe!]

[Bastard dad asked what do you want then? Go out now?]

[Sophia said... hold me, if you hold me I won't feel so bad.]

[Then bastard dad hugged her.]

[Mommy, they're kissing again.]

[This time the kissing sounds are really loud, like little pigs eating.]

When Adrian and I got together, I was already a popular rising actress.

He was still struggling in the lowest ranks.

Worrying about making a living every day.

When he went to auditions, I ironed his shirts for him.

When he failed screen tests, I pulled strings everywhere trying to get him opportunities.

His career stagnated, so I consulted fortune tellers to read his fortune.

That's when I found out Adrian was born under an unlucky star, destined for bad luck his whole life.

If I wanted to help him, I could only use my own good fortune to suppress his bad luck.

Over the years, for Adrian's career development, I gradually withdrew from show business to be the woman behind him.

But I never expected he would betray me.

Even during a live broadcast, in front of viewers across the country, hiding in a coffin having an affair.

I looked down at my belly.

Five months along.

This little thing inside knew everything.

[Mommy, don't be sad.]

[That bastard dad doesn't deserve your sadness.]

[You still have me!]

I smiled slightly.

That's right. I still have you.

Footsteps came from the doorway.

Marcus and Lucas returned, both looking dejected.

Marcus scratched his head. "We turned all eight rooms upside down and found nothing."

Lucas looked frustrated too. "Yeah, not a single clue."

Comments started scrolling:

[So where are the clues?]

[Can't all be in this room]

[Only the coffin left unopened in here]

[Open it! Open the coffin!]

Samuel frowned, staring at the coffin for a long time:

"We haven't been able to find any clues. Should we open the coffin?"

As soon as he said this, Marcus and Lucas both looked at me.

I shook my head. "On the contrary. We absolutely cannot open the coffin."

Samuel was stunned. "Why not?"

I pointed around us. "Don't you think it's strange? There are no clues in this room."

"Even the other eight rooms were empty---nothing found there either."

Lucas didn't understand. "So?"

I looked at the coffin and spoke slowly: "This production crew is crafty. They deliberately didn't give us clues."

"It's to manipulate us into opening the coffin."

Samuel's eyes lit up. "You mean opening the coffin is a trap?"

I nodded. "Think about the escape room's plot. What is it?"

"The bride disappeared, her spirit restless. If we open the coffin under these circumstances, what will happen?"

Marcus's expression changed. "It will... trigger something bad?"

I said: "Definitely. Maybe as soon as the coffin opens, the plot enters a dead end."

"Or it triggers some horror mechanism that traps us all here."

[Makes sense!]

[Vivian's right!]

[The production crew definitely dug a trap]

[Can't fall for it!]

[Absolutely don't open it!]

[Let them play by themselves!]

Samuel nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you put it that way, it's very possible."

"These escape rooms often have such traps---looks like a clue but it's actually a pit."

Marcus slapped his thigh. "Right! They want us to open the coffin, but we're going to seal it instead!"

Lucas got excited too. "Right! Seal it! Let them play by themselves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lighting up:

"I saw nails and a hammer earlier!"

Marcus got excited too. "Really? Where?"

"In the storage room, there was a pile of tools. I wondered about it at the time---turns out they were prepared for us!"

Lucas said this and ran out.

Marcus shouted after him: "Bring more! Bring more nails too!"

The baby said in a sweet little voice:

[Sophia panicked as soon as she heard about sealing the coffin!]

[Bastard dad's face went white too. He's shaking his head frantically, trying to reassure himself it won't happen.]

[Sophia keeps saying, I regret this, I really regret this]

Before long, Lucas came running back, panting, arms full of things.

"Got them, got them!"

He dumped everything on the floor: an iron hammer, a box of nails, and even a wooden board.

Marcus's eyes lit up. "Even a board?"

Samuel hesitated. "Are we really going to nail it? Won't we damage the coffin?"

"If it breaks, it breaks."

Marcus rolled up his sleeves. "The production crew didn't give us any clues anyway. We'll just do the opposite of what they want!"

Lucas was eager too. "Let them set their traps! We just won't fall for them!"

Marcus picked up the hammer, Lucas held the board steady on the side.

"Bang!"

The first nail went in.

A muffled sound came from inside the coffin.

Marcus froze. "What was that?"

Lucas heard it too. "Probably the props vibrating."

The nails went in one by one.

The noises from inside the coffin grew louder and louder.

Thud thud thud, bang bang bang, like someone beating a drum inside.

Marcus muttered as he hammered: "These props are really high quality, they even respond with sounds."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, seems so realistic."

The last nail went in.

Marcus nodded with satisfaction. "There. Now let's see how they can trick us into opening it."

Lucas laughed too. "We're just not playing by their rules!"

Samuel clapped. "Well done!"

I smiled too.

The baby's voice rang out, with a hint of confusion:

[Mommy, why isn't Sophia making any sound?]

[Looks like she passed out.]

[Bastard dad was just calling her name, shaking her, trying to revive her, but she's not responding.]

[And guess what?]

[Bastard dad actually breathed a sigh of relief!]

[He thinks Sophia finally won't be a burden anymore!]

[Now he's alone, curled up in a corner of the coffin, trying to minimize his presence, thinking he'll sneak out after you all leave.]

[Mommy, he's so scary.]

I rubbed my belly.

He could abandon even me, his wife who'd shared his hardships. How could he care about a mistress?

In his eyes, everyone was just a tool.

Sophia had just been with him having an affair, giving him thrills.

Now she'd fainted, become a burden, so he just tossed her aside.

Just then, the loudspeaker suddenly crackled to life.

It was the director's voice.

"You idiots! I just went to the bathroom and you caused this much trouble!"

Marcus froze, looking at the speaker.

Lucas was confused too.

Samuel opened his mouth. "Director?"

The director's voice continued, urgent and angry: "That coffin is borrowed! It's a prop from the crew next door! They need it tomorrow!"

[Borrowed???]

[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha]

[So this coffin isn't part of the escape room?]

[It's a prop borrowed from another crew??]

The director's voice continued:

"Staff! Get over there and take it apart!"

"Open the coffin lid! Don't damage it! We can't afford to pay for it!"

A flurry of footsteps.

Several staff members rushed in, circling around the coffin.

"The nails! How did the nails get in so deep?"

"Hammer! Quick, get the hammer!"

"These nails are too deep, they won't come out!"

"Crowbar! Go find a crowbar!"

The room descended into chaos.

Marcus and Lucas stood to the side, looking innocent.

Samuel coughed quietly and said: "Director, we didn't know it was borrowed..."

The staff were still trying to pry the coffin open.

Several people working together, the coffin lid was finally pried open a crack.

"It's open, it's open! Push harder!"

The coffin lid was lifted little by little.