I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 226

Zoe walked out of the hospital, her head still spinning.

It wasn't that she didn't believe Dr. Lambert, but she wanted to try a few other hospitals to see if there was any hope.

However, after visiting place after place, she finally gave up when the fifth hospital rejected her for the exact same reason. The nurses there even offered her a heavy-handed hint.

"A legitimate hospital like ours definitely won't be able to terminate this pregnancy for you."

Taking that as a clue, Zoe was struck by a desperate idea and went tracking down the shady flyers plastered along the street.

She eventually found an unlisted, nameless clinic hidden deep within a narrow alley.

The equipment inside was ancient, and the operating table was so filthy it was unrecognizable.

Zoe's heart immediately sank.

The supposed 'doctor' was just a middle-aged woman in her fifties, sitting alone in the room smoking a cigarette without a single assistant in sight.

Seeing Zoe walk in, the woman threw her a sideways glance.

"Five hundred bucks for the procedure. You sign away your life. If you bleed out on the table, don't come crying to us."

With that, she tossed a waiver onto the counter and ordered Zoe to sign it.

The fine print essentially stated that Zoe assumed all liability, the person holding the scalpel was completely legally absolved, and everything was completely voluntary.

It was the equivalent of handing her life over to a total stranger.

To make matters worse, the woman eyed her with blatant disgust and let out a harsh, grating laugh.

"Take off your pants and get on the table. The kid isn't your husband's, is it? I see girls your age coming in here all the time. It's always someone else's mistake from sneaking around."

Zoe shook with a mix of fury and fear.

The baby inside her was conceived with the man she legally married. Since when was her child a bastard?

She hesitated for a long time before finally backing away. If she got on that table and the surgery went wrong, both of them would die.

Since she had to travel for the summit, Zoe left Lily in Nadia's care, keeping the pregnancy completely to herself.

She didn't want anyone to know just yet. Above all, she still hadn't figured out the truth behind her marriage to Hayden.

What exactly was in their prenuptial agreement? What promises had she supposedly made during their marriage that she couldn't remember at all?

She needed to find an opportunity to look at those documents and see exactly what she had signed away.

Once she finally broke free from Hayden's control, she would quietly disappear with Lily and the new life growing inside her, far away from all of this.

Zoe's morning sickness only lasted for two days. Aside from needing more sleep and having a larger appetite, everything felt normal.

Terrified the household staff would notice, she made sure to eat plenty while she was out during the day, so by the time she got home, she only needed to eat her usual small portion at dinner.

That way, no one would realize how much her appetite had grown.

On the eve of the international tech summit, the executives and senior engineers from Sterling Group and Easton Group arrived at their hotel.