In a post-production studio on Long Island, owned by Cross Creek Pictures, Darren Aronofsky had just finished a day's work. The filming for Black Swan had long been completed, and the movie was now in post-production.
As Darren left the editing room, Natalie Portman approached him.
"How did it go today?" she asked.
"Not bad," Darren responded, looking much younger than his actual age. "I'll be done with all the post-production by the end of June at the latest."
Natalie sighed slightly and said, "We won't make it in time for the Cannes or Berlin Film Festival."
Darren smiled. "I've already submitted it to the Venice Film Festival. We'll make it in time for that." Stretching his arms, he added, "After a long day of work, it's time to relax."
Natalie immediately understood what he meant and replied, "I've got my period, so I'm not really up for it."
"That's fine." Darren, not taking no for an answer, pulled her into a nearby break room. Once inside, he pushed her down forcefully. "Just use your mouth."
As Darren unbuckled his belt, Natalie opened her mouth and diligently began to service her director and lover.
About ten minutes later, they both exited the room.
"Come over to my place tonight?" Natalie asked.
Darren shook his head. "No, I've got a meeting with someone tonight."
Natalie looked a little disappointed and asked, "Who are you meeting?"
"A potential investor," Darren said, sounding irritated by her questions. "It's for my next film."
Before Natalie could ask more, he cut her off. "Enough, we'll talk about this later. I'm in a rush."
With that, he walked away from the post-production studio.
Watching his back, Natalie Portman's thick eyebrows furrowed into an unhappy frown. It seemed like it was getting harder and harder to keep Darren Aronofsky in her grasp.
She could feel that Darren's attitude toward her wasn't the same as it used to be.
It was time to come up with a plan to secure Darren Aronofsky once and for all.
Darren got into his car and drove towards the Long Beach shoreline. Even while driving, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts about movies. In a world filled with so many distractions—video games, the internet, other films, iPods, text messages, phones—how could a movie capture people's attention? He believed it was necessary to create unforgettable, emotionally intense imagery that people couldn't stop talking about. Most importantly, it had to offer visceral experiences that the audience could relate to on a primal level.
Darren had not made Black Swan for Rachel Weisz, but because his sister had been a ballet dancer. Every time he passed her room and saw the posters and ballet shoes, he would feel a strange rush of emotions.
"Follow that green sedan," Rachel Weisz instructed the driver from her seat in a Cadillac. "Stay close and don't lose it."
The driver, an experienced professional, kept a steady distance as they weaved through traffic, following Darren Aronofsky's car.
Rachel pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Are you still on him?"
"Yes, don't worry," a male voice responded. "We'll capture everything you need."
"Good. As long as you get what I want, money is no issue," Rachel replied.
She hung up and glanced out through the windshield. Darren Aronofsky's car was still clearly visible ahead.
Even though she couldn't see him, just knowing that it was his car filled Rachel Weisz with overwhelming hatred.
Natalie Portman. Darren Aronofsky. She was going to make those two pay.
Did they think they could use Darren's rising fame for their own benefit? Not that easily!
Rachel's thoughts drifted to some of the disturbing elements from Darren's films. Perhaps only by using those dark and twisted themes on Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky could she truly quench her anger.
Darren's films were filled with neurotic, grim, and horrifying imagery: drills piercing skulls, arms rotting from drug injections, electroshock-induced dementia, sharp pens etching rings onto skin, staplers embedding nails into flesh, thumbs being ground up in meat grinders, and toes snapping apart.
That disgusting pair deserved to suffer all of that.
The car in front of them came to a stop, and Rachel signaled her driver to pull over. She rolled down the window and watched as Darren Aronofsky stepped out and stood on the side of the road, waiting. A few moments later, a woman with dark brown hair walked up to him. They exchanged a few words, then embraced and began kissing passionately.
The two were completely lost in each other, as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
Rachel gripped the door handle tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
But she restrained herself. She did nothing and merely watched coldly. She was confident that her people were capturing everything on camera.
In a way, she was the director behind this scene.
The woman Darren was entangled with was none other than Natalie Portman's close friend and Black Swan co-star, Mila Kunis.
With several deep breaths, Rachel calmed the emotions surging through her.
In the distance, in broad daylight, Darren's hand clearly slipped beneath Mila's clothing.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect," Rachel whispered to herself. "Everything is going according to the script Matthew and I wrote."
Rachel slowly adjusted her mindset. Darren had long since parted ways with her, and there was nothing left between them but resentment. Now, it was Natalie Portman's turn to be angry.
The director she had worked so hard to secure had immediately jumped into bed with her best friend. What would Natalie Portman think when she found out?
It would be a spectacle, for sure.
Rachel's mood lifted at the thought. Natalie Portman had betrayed her, so now it was time for Natalie to taste betrayal from her own friend.
Darren and Mila finally separated and got into his car, which began to pull away.
"Follow them," Rachel instructed her driver.
The Cadillac blended back into traffic, trailing Darren Aronofsky's car.
Rachel had a lot of patience, just as she'd patiently spent months persuading Mila Kunis to seduce Darren Aronofsky through various indirect channels. She knew she couldn't rush this—there was more to come.
Mila's seduction of Darren reminded her just how fragile and fake the friendships between Hollywood actresses could be. Nothing but plastic smiles and hollow gestures.
"Matthew is the only person I can really rely on," Rachel thought to herself.
Years ago, when she'd helped Matthew with a tiny favor on The Mummy Returns set, he had remembered it ever since. He'd not only warned her about Natalie Portman's manipulative nature but also helped her plan her revenge. He had done everything a true friend could do.
Without Matthew, she didn't know how she would have survived the blow Darren's betrayal had dealt her.
Now, not only had she survived, but she was ready to strike back, making sure Darren and Natalie paid the price they deserved. This would also help restore her confidence.
People in Hollywood had been gossiping about her, laughing at her behind her back. Darren and Natalie's downfall would make it clear that Rachel Weisz wasn't someone to be messed with.
Up ahead, Darren's car stopped again, this time in front of a hotel.
Rachel told her driver to park a little further away. From her vantage point, she saw Darren and Mila, arm in arm, walk into the hotel, looking as intimate as ever.
It was obvious what a couple like that would do in a hotel.
Rachel picked up her phone again and dialed the number from before. "Send me the photos you've taken. Keep watching them, and get shots when they leave."
She hung up the phone and instructed her driver, "Take me back to Manhattan."
On the way back, her phone buzzed with a notification. She opened the email to find the pictures the photographer had taken—perfectly captured shots of Darren and Mila's intimate moments, including a close-up of Darren's hand slipping under Mila's shirt.
After scanning through the images, Rachel set the phone down and began thinking. How should she deliver these to Natalie Portman? It wouldn't be too hard to get access to Natalie's personal email, but some celebrities rarely check their inboxes. Natalie might miss this juicy bit of news.
After a moment's consideration, she decided to have the photos delivered directly to Natalie's office at the Black Swan set.
Rachel had a few people on the inside feeding her information about the Black Swan production.
Back at her Manhattan apartment, Rachel suddenly remembered something and dialed Matthew's number. After a brief conversation, she sent the photos to him as well.
A scheme like this, which she had carefully orchestrated, was too good not to share. And Matthew, who had helped her come up with the plan, was the perfect person to share it with.
Rachel decided to keep Matthew updated on every development from now on.
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