I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 247

After the argument, Zoe felt a sudden wave of nausea. She rushed into the bathroom and threw up violently.

Hayden, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks.

Zoe emerged looking pale and drained, surprised to see him still standing there.

"Are you sick?"

Her expression hardened into ice. "None of your business."

She couldn't understand it. They had used protection; how could she be pregnant?

Hayden had instinctively reached out to help her, but his hand froze mid-air. He pulled it back, studying her pale face before letting out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"You better not be. Every time you switch out the birth control pills behind my back, I remind you: we are not having a second child."

A surge of blind fury hit Zoe. Did he think he was royalty? Did he think she was desperate to provide an heir to his throne?

Dr. Lambert had told her she had suffered multiple miscarriages over the past five years because she had messed with her birth control. Hayden didn't want another child with her.

But why would she do something so reckless?

"Why would I do that?"

Her question was met with Hayden's endless disdain.

"I'd love to know. And it's not the first time you've lied about this. You faked a pregnancy five times. Where are the babies?"

He had heard the boy cry wolf too many times to care.

The first time Zoe told him she was pregnant, he had actually felt a spark of joy.

He waited weeks, respecting her boundaries, thinking it was just pregnancy fatigue.

Then, a few weeks later, she threw herself at him again.

Her stomach was perfectly flat. Nothing was there.

The pregnancy was a total lie, and he had been stupid enough to fall for it.

Seeing that she was just a little pale and perfectly fine otherwise, Hayden mocked himself for letting her play him like a fool once again.

He glared at her. "If you're actually pregnant, get rid of it. You're divorcing me anyway. You already have one kid; you really think Garrett wants to play stepdad to two of your burdens?"

Smack!

A sharp slap landed across Hayden's face, leaving a stark red handprint on his skin.

Hayden's pupils constricted, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles cracked.

Zoe didn't flinch under his murderous glare. She held her head high, unapologetic and fiercely defiant.

"Don't worry. Even if there is a baby, it's not yours."

With that, she slammed the door in his face.

Hayden stood completely frozen, her words ringing in his ears.

What did she mean it wasn't his?

When a massive seafood platter arrived, he meticulously prepared her lobster tail and cracked her crab legs. Zoe figured if they weren't in public, he probably would have hand-fed her.

Sienna happily accepted his pampering, taking delicate, elegant bites. Zoe watched for a moment, thinking someone should really be recording this.

It would make excellent evidence for the divorce proceedings.

Watching them flaunt their romance so openly, Zoe understood the reality. A man of Hayden's status didn't need to hide his affairs.

He could sleep with whoever he wanted, and even if the whole city knew, no one would judge him. They would just be jealous of the woman in his bed.

Zoe focused on her own food. A thick cut of slow-roasted short ribs was suddenly placed on her plate.

The rich aroma made her mouth water.

The ribs were on the far side of the table, and while Hayden was busy playing chef for Sienna, no one dared to spin the lazy Susan. Zoe had been too tired to reach for it.

"Your appetite has been great lately, and you've been craving protein. Eat up. They brought in a new chef, and the food is excellent. You can even pack some to take home," Garrett said warmly.

He placed another cut of ribs on her plate. Zoe smiled and used the serving tongs to place some shrimp from the platter in front of Sienna onto Garrett's plate.

"I remember you like seafood, Mr. Stone."

The Sterling executives didn't bat an eye, but the Easton team looked visibly uncomfortable, exchanging looks of shock and disdain.

Garrett completely ignored them, adding casually, "Zoe and I are close friends outside of work. This is nothing."

Hayden stopped cracking crab legs. He had cleaned the entire plate for Sienna, and she had eaten two-thirds of it herself.

Everyone knew the Vice President loved seafood, so no one had dared to take a single piece.