I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 33

Zoe couldn't even force her mouth open to speak.

Five years?

It seemed her history with Hayden was entirely real.

The doctor prescribed a mix of topical creams and internal medications, repeatedly stressing the importance of rest.

"It's best if you rest for a month. Absolutely no intimacy."

Zoe blushed fiercely and thanked her. As she looked through her prescriptions, she noticed a strange slip of paper and pulled it out.

"Dr. Lambert, I'm here for a gynecology appointment. What's this psychiatric medication for?"

Dr. Lambert shot her an exasperated look.

"It's for your boyfriend. When you have time, bring him in for a psychiatric evaluation. Who tortures their girlfriend like that? I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a few screws loose up here."

Dr. Lambert tapped her own temple for emphasis.

Zoe's lips twitched in a forced, awkward smile.

Doctors really were perceptive. She had hit the nail right on the head.

Glancing at her phone, Zoe saw it was almost time for Lily to finish school. Knowing she wouldn't make it in time, she had no choice but to call Colin.

"Mr. Zachs, could I trouble you to pick Lily up today?"

She looked down at her prescriptions. By the time she picked up all her meds, it would be pitch black outside.

She certainly couldn't explain the real reason she was delayed.

"I'm a little tied up, I might not make it."

Colin glanced nervously at Hayden in the backseat. It felt like every question he got handed was a literal death trap.

This time, Hayden didn't pretend to be deaf and blind.

He snapped his laptop shut and snatched the phone right out of Colin's hand.

"I'll go pick Lily up."

Hearing Hayden's voice, Zoe nearly jumped out of her skin.

After the initial shock wore off, confusion set in.

Why was she so terrified of him?

Hayden paused for a second, as if acting on a sudden impulse.

"If you need something, call my number directly."

Before Zoe could even process what he said, he hung up the phone.

When Lily was born, Hayden had been having dinner with Sienna and Holden.

When she turned one month old, Hayden was busy playing golf with business partners.

When she turned one, Zoe had finally gathered the courage to ask if they could take a family photo.

Hayden had viciously rejected her, telling her to remember her place.

That was the first time Colin had ever seen Zoe run out of the Boss's study in tears in front of all the staff.

The sheer devastation on her face had been enough to make even a hardened assistant's heart ache.

And once Lily started school, Hayden hadn't asked about her a single time.

He seemed incredibly averse to being seen in public with Zoe or Lily.

Calling it a "secret marriage" was putting it mildly.

The tabloids speculated that Hayden and Sienna were the real couple all along.

People whispered that Sienna marrying Charles was just a smokescreen to cover up her affair with Hayden.

Honestly, sometimes Colin wondered if the rumors were true.

Through the car window, Colin watched Hayden stride confidently toward the school gates. He quickly snapped a photo and texted it to Grandmother Thorne.