Kept in Secret (Alerrie)

Epilogue

"Surely you're joking."

There I sat, definitely gaping, my eyes burning with confusion and rage towards my new manager, Mike. He'd been my manager for only six months, and already he was making changes that I did not agree to; these changes affected my solo career, which had only just began.

"It's a great idea." Mike responded, unscathed by my not-so-sudden outburst. He almost looked apologetic. Almost.
"You're about to announce the release of your very first solo album, so what better time to stir up some drama? And this, well, this would be something for the history books, let me tell you."

He had rung me early in the morning, asking me to come by his office in London as soon as humanly possible. At first, I had wondered if there was something wrong, and, although there was nothing wrong in his eyes, there certainly was in mine.

He had sat there, smiling toothily at me, and announced that it had been arranged that I enter a fake relationship with the one-and-only Zayn Malik for the cameras. To create publicity for my upcoming album.

I hadn't seen Zayn for some time - not since we had met up when I'd returned home to the UK after our horrific and very public phone-breakup in an American airport. When I say it was horrific, I absolutely mean it. That phone call had gotten me so enraged and riled-up that Jade, Leigh and Jesy had all had to step in, shelter me from the unruly paparazzi, and end the call for me before I said something I would've regretted. I'm grateful for that - especially now.

Since I'd seen him, I knew that he had had a long relationship with Gigi Hadid of all people and had a baby girl with her. I mean- to go from a model back to your ex-fiancé was surely a downgrade and a half. Come on now.

"Couldn't I gain publicity in a different way?" I whined.
"There's so many other ways to do that these days! Heck, couldn't you have paired me up for a fake relationship with - I don't know - Dylan O'Brien or something? Because then maybe we could actually fall in love and live happily ever after. Zayn didn't even make me happy when we were in a real relationship, I cannot even imagine a fake relationship with me. The guy hates me, and I hate him!"

Mike shook his head slowly. How was he so calm?
"It didn't seem that way when I met up with him and his manager yesterday. He agreed to the arrangement. He seemed to want to help you. He seemed to want you to succeed."

I rolled my eyes, clearly bitter about the situation.

"Please," I scoffed, quite unladylike.
"I've managed to succeed in my career without him for so many years now. I do not need any man - especially that man - to succeed in my career."

"I'm not saying you do, Perrie, it'll just give your solo career a boost. It's only six months."

"Six months?" I suddenly shouted, making Mike jump with surprise.
"You hate me. Surely you hate me. Surely. Tell me you hate me."

"I don't hate you. That's why I'm doing this."

Chapter 1 coming soon...