I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 202

Nadia's interest was instantly piqued.

"Oh, do tell."

Zoe's voice was as clinical as if she were delivering a corporate presentation.

"I'll issue a call to arms on social media. I'll launch the official 'Zoë' account—after all, I own the copyright—and mobilize the fanbase to stage a stakeout..."

Within ten minutes, Zoe had mapped out a flawless blueprint for revenge.

When she finished, she waited for Nadia's verdict.

"Well, it's definitely not legally sound, but I absolutely love it. Covering our tracks is my specialty."

The two women spent the entire afternoon texting, finalizing every detail of their operation.

Meanwhile, Garrett was still in his office, reflecting on Zoe's impressive resilience, feeling more motivated than ever to work hard and study human nature.

Three days later, the preschool's parent-teacher conference arrived.

Zoe waited at home for Hayden for two agonizing hours. As the start time approached, he was still a no-show.

Left with no alternative, she took Lily to the school by herself.

When they arrived, practically every child was accompanied by both parents.

This was the most elite preschool in the city, where parents treated early education like a blood sport. Whenever the school hosted an event, attendance was universally mandatory. Absences were unheard of.

Lily had already guessed Hayden wasn't coming.

Still, the disappointment weighed heavily on her.

"Don't worry, Dad promised. He'll definitely be here."

Even at the eleventh hour, Zoe clung to a shred of hope.

She simply couldn't fathom how a grown man could break a promise to his own daughter.

Even an ordinary father wouldn't crush his child's spirit like this, let alone a man of Hayden's stature.

Lily sniffled quietly. "Dad has never been to my school. Nobody here even knows who he is."

Zoe forced a reassuring smile.

"Maybe he just got caught up with a last-minute emergency at work. Let's wait just a little longer, okay?"

The two of them stood by the school gates for another ten minutes before Hayden's vehicle finally pulled up.

Zoe recognized the make and license plate instantly.

She was just about to excitedly lead Lily over when the doors opened. Hayden had arrived.

But Sienna and Holden stepped out of the car right beside him.

Hayden scooped Holden into his arms, treating him like precious cargo, refusing to even let the boy walk.

It was a minor miracle Hayden could lift the chubby child so effortlessly.

"Okay, please talk things out calmly with Zoe."

Hayden's eyes darkened, his gaze turning intense.

"Go ahead. I'll handle things here."

It sounded exactly like a devoted husband protecting his fragile wife.

Hayden turned around, meeting Zoe's furious gaze with absolute calm.

There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face.

"Is this how you keep a promise to me?"

Hayden tilted his head, his eyes empty, looking at Zoe and her daughter as if they were nothing more than thin air.

"What exactly did I promise you? Ms. Lynd, we're in public. Have you forgotten how to behave?"

That sentence was a lethal strike.

She couldn't expose their marriage in a public setting.

Therefore, her public confrontation already violated the terms of their secret arrangement.

But Zoe was far past caring about optics.

She just wanted to know why Hayden couldn't honor a simple commitment to a little girl.