I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 318

Julian Winters had been waiting for a chance to interject, and Grandmother Thorne's anger gave him the perfect opening to assert his presence.

"What else could it be? She falsely accused my uncle of assault! She's always been trouble, dressing provocatively as a teenager to try and seduce him. She got caught by her aunt back then, yet she never learned her lesson and tried it again.

Honestly, I have no idea how you allowed someone with such a scandalous past to join the Thorne family. A woman as loose as her would have been run out of town in the old days."

Grandmother Thorne finally pieced the ugly truth together.

She slammed her hand against the table, trembling with absolute fury. "Bullshit! That is absolute bullshit. Zoe is the best girl I have ever known. She would never do such a thing."

It all made sense now. Terrence Winters hadn't been framed; he was sentenced to prison because he had laid his hands on the granddaughter-in-law she cherished most.

And her own grandson, Hayden, had deliberately kept things vague when he begged for her help. He knew the truth all along and hid it, knowing she would never agree to bail Terrence out otherwise.

The realization hit her like a physical blow, leaving her swaying on her feet. She pointed a shaking finger right at Hayden's face.

"You blind, foolish boy! You trust outsiders over your own wife?"

Consumed by rage, she marched up to Hayden and delivered a vicious, ringing slap across his face.

The Winters family, who had been celebrating just moments before, froze in stunned silence.

Sienna was completely horrified.

Hayden sat perfectly still. He took the slap without a flinch, offering no retaliation and no explanation.

Mrs. Winters panicked, mustering the courage to intervene.

"Grandmother Thorne, what are you doing? How could you hit Hayden..."

"Shut your mouth. I am disciplining my own grandson; I don't need outsiders interfering," the old woman snapped. "I cannot believe a mother like you exists. Your own biological daughter was abused, and instead of seeking justice for her, you side with the attacker. You are no better than an accomplice."

After ripping into Mrs. Winters, Grandmother Thorne glared at Hayden, her chest heaving with sharp, stabbing pains.

It was only then that Sienna realized Hayden had kept the entire truth from his grandmother to secure Terrence's release.

A twisted mix of sweet validation and deep anxiety washed over her.

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