After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's Aunt-in-Law

The Rusty Anchor was exactly the kind of place Aria usually avoided. It smelled of stale beer, fryer grease, and regret. The floor was sticky enough to steal a shoe, and the lighting was dim enough to hide a multitude of sins.

It was perfect.

Aria pushed through the heavy wooden doors, scanning the crowd. The cast and crew of The Empress’s Shadow were in full swing. Lighting guys were doing shots with makeup artists. The Director was arm-wrestling the Key Grip.

And there, huddled in a corner booth like a tragic, sequined lump, was Bella Vale.

Bella was alone. She was nursing a neon blue cocktail that looked like Windex, staring aggressively at the table and wiping her nose with a cocktail napkin.

Aria adjusted her leather jacket, smoothed her expression into something resembling sympathy, and walked over.

”He’s not worth the mascara, you know,” Aria said, sliding into the booth opposite her sister.

Bella’s head snapped up. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. ”Go away, Aria. I’m not in the mood.”

”I’m not here to mock you,” Aria lied smoothly. She signaled a passing waitress. ”Two shots of your most expensive tequila. And leave the bottle.”

She looked back at Bella.

”I’m here because I saw the fight. And honestly? Lucas looked like a cornered rat.”

Bella sniffled, putting down her Windex drink. ”He is a rat. He told me I was crazy. He told me I was imagining things.”

”Classic gaslighting,” Aria tutted, shaking her head. ”Men are trash, Bella. We both know that. I mean, look at what he did to me. He cheated on me with you, didn’t he?”

Bella flinched. ”We were in love! It wasn’t just cheating!”

”Right,” Aria said, her voice dripping with fake pity. ”But didn’t he used to tell everyone you were ’just like a little sister’ to him? Even when he was sleeping with you?”

Bella’s face crumpled. The barb hit home. Lucas had never claimed her. Not really. Even after Aria left, he had kept their relationship in the grey zone of ”co-stars” and ”friends,” leaving Bella desperate for validation.

”He said we had to be careful because of the press,” Bella whispered, her voice trembling. ”But now... now he’s dumping me for her.”

The waitress slammed two shot glasses and a bottle of Don Julio 1942 onto the sticky table.

Aria poured. She slid a glass to Bella.

”Drink,” Aria commanded. ”It helps the rage burn cleaner.”

Bella looked at the shot. She looked at Aria. For the first time in her life, she didn’t see a rival; she saw the only other person who knew exactly how much of a dick Lucas Sinclair actually was.

Bella downed the shot in one go. She slammed the glass down.

”She has red hair,” Bella spat, the alcohol loosening her tongue instantly. ”And she looks cheap. Like... she’s pretty, I guess, if you like that ’I sleep in a dumpster’ chic. But she’s not me.”

”Exactly,” Aria agreed, pouring another round. ”You’re the star. He’s downgrading. It’s embarrassing for him, really.”

”He gave her an envelope,” Bella whispered, leaning over the table, her eyes wide and glassy. ”I saw it. Thick. Like it was full of cash.”

Aria’s internal radar pinged. Bingo.

”I think he’s being used!” Bella cried. ”He thinks he’s a player, Aria. But he’s just a pawn. That woman... she wasn’t looking at him like she loved him. She looked at him like he was an ATM.”

”Show me,” Aria said softly.

Bella hesitated. ”He said he’d sue me if I leaked it.”

”Let him sue,” Aria scoffed. ”What’s he going to pay a good lawyer with? Autographs?”

She reached out, resting her hand over Bella’s. It took every ounce of her acting ability not to recoil.

”Bella, listen to me. The only way to win a breakup is to control the narrative. If you have proof he’s a cheater, you aren’t the crazy ex. You’re the whistleblower. You’re the victim.”

Bella’s eyes lit up. ”The victim...”

”Yes,” Aria nodded. ”But you can’t just post it. That’s messy. You need a strategy. Send it to me.”

”To you?” Bella frowned.

”I have a friend,” Aria whispered. ”We have contacts at TMZ, Page Six, and the gossip blogs. If I leak it... it doesn’t trace back to you. You get to keep your hands clean and watch him burn.”

It was a beautiful lie. Aria had no intention of leaking it to TMZ. She intended to send it straight to Kai.

Bella bit her lip. She looked at the tequila bottle. She looked at Aria.

”Okay,” Bella slurred. ”Okay. Let’s burn him.”

She reached into her purse. She dug around.

But no phone.

”Where is it?” Aria asked, her pulse skipping a beat.

”My car,” Bella groaned, slumping against the booth. ”It died. I left it plugged into the charger. It was at 1%.”

Aria suppressed a scream of frustration. ”Bella. We need that video.”

”I know, I know,” Bella waved a hand dismissively. ”I’ll go get it later. Once I can walk in a straight line. Or... you can wait? We’re drinking, right? We’re sisters tonight?”

Aria looked at the drunk girl. If she pushed too hard, Bella might get suspicious. If she let her go to the car alone, she might delete it in a drunken stupor or lose the phone.

”We’re sisters,” Aria forced a smile. ”I’ll wait. But don’t you dare leave without sending it to me.”

”I won’t,” Bella promised, pouring herself a third shot. ”To destroying Lucas!”

”To destroying Lucas,” Aria echoed, taking a small sip.

The front door of the pub opened, bringing with it a gust of cool night air and the scent of expensive perfume.

Zoe Chen walked in.

She was wearing a silver slip dress that shimmered like liquid moonlight under the bar lights, paired with strappy heels and a white faux-fur jacket draped over her shoulders. Her hair was sleek, her makeup flawless. She looked like she was here to ruin lives and sign contracts.

Every head in the bar turned.

Zoe scanned the room, spotted Aria, and strutted over, dodging a drunk grip with practiced ease.

”I have arrived,” Zoe announced, sliding into the booth next to Aria. She looked at Bella, then at the tequila bottle. ”And I see the party has already started. Is this the pity party or the revenge party?”

”Revenge,” Aria said. ”Bella has receipts.”

”Ooh, I love receipts,” Zoe grinned, flagging down the bartender. ”Tequila soda with three limes, please. And keep them coming.”

She turned to Aria, her eyes sparkling.

”The client loved my pitch, by the way. ’Brand Synergy’. I nailed it. Now, I am officially off the clock and looking for trouble. Is there anyone here worth flirting with, or is it just gaffers and grips?”

”Mostly grips,” Aria said. ”But the night is young.”

”Good,” Zoe said. ”Because I didn’t wear this dress to go home alone.”