Once She Came Like a Flash novel Chapter 2

**Faith Didn’t Survive Time – by Aadi Sharma**
**Chapter 2**

As Lola navigated the winding roads back to the Hudson estate, a sense of urgency propelled her forward. Today felt different, almost heavy with the weight of unspoken decisions. Unlike her typical routine of meticulously preparing health-conscious meals, she bypassed the kitchen entirely and headed straight for the sanctuary of her bedroom.

In the dim light filtering through the curtains, she rummaged through a box that held the remnants of her life with Charlie—the most precious and significant items she had gathered over the years. Her fingers brushed against various trinkets before landing on the marriage certificate, pristine and carefully placed in an obvious spot, as if it demanded to be seen.

With trembling hands, Lola extracted the certificate and held it up, her gaze fixated on the inked letters that marked a pivotal moment in her life. Attached to it was a wedding photo, glaringly photoshopped to mask the reality of their union. She could still remember the day when Charlie had suffered a catastrophic car accident, leaving him in a state of unconsciousness—a vegetable, as the doctors had grimly put it. The news had shattered her world, and without a second thought, she had sacrificed her dreams of studying abroad to become his private physician, dedicating herself to his care day and night.

Their marriage had taken place during the second year of his coma, a time when whispers of greed began to circulate among his relatives. They were eager to lay claim to whatever pieces of Charlie’s estate they could snatch away. To safeguard what was rightfully his, Lola had taken the initiative to register their marriage quietly, an act of love mingled with desperation.

The years that followed stretched into an endless tapestry of more than a thousand days and nights. Lola had become Charlie’s hands and feet, attending to his every need with unwavering devotion. Amidst the personal care and soothing massages, she had found herself engaged in a relentless battle against the voracious Hudsons, their eyes glinting with avarice at the thought of inheritance. Even when Charlie’s closest kin had abandoned hope, she had gritted her teeth and pressed on, fueled by an indomitable spirit.

Just when she had resigned herself to this unchanging existence, a miracle had occurred—Charlie had awakened. His eyes, once clouded, now sparkled with clarity as he acknowledged their marriage and vowed to embrace the responsibilities of a husband. Yet, he made no illusions of love; that was a sentiment he seemed incapable of offering.

But for Lola, that was enough. She remembered the moment Charlie had stood up to the thugs who had tormented her, a surge of admiration and affection swelling within her. The quiet companionship of their marriage had sufficed, even in the absence of grand declarations of love, as long as he remained by her side.

She had envisioned a life where they would continue together, side by side, until the very end. But then Rose had returned, shattering the delicate balance they had established. Rose’s arrival had disrupted everything, igniting a spark in Charlie that Lola thought had long been extinguished.

A bitter smile crept across her face as she recalled the disdainful looks exchanged between Charlie and Edwin when they had first laid eyes on her after Rose’s return. Setting the marriage certificate aside, she delved deeper into the box, pulling out documents that detailed properties, jewelry, and shares that Thomas, the old patriarch of the Hudson family, had bequeathed to her—security that he had intentionally placed in her name.

“Sorry, Edwin said he was scared and wanted me to come with him. I hope you don’t mind, Miss Lola?” Rose said, her voice dripping with feigned innocence.

Lola’s heart ached as she looked at Edwin, who refused to meet her gaze, his small frame trembling with fear. She inhaled deeply, reminding herself that he was still just a child; she couldn’t leave him with a final, bitter memory of her. She forced her voice to remain calm, though it felt like a fragile facade. “Edwin, I need to speak with you alone.”

She had no intention of allowing Rose to stake any claim to the assets that were rightfully Edwin’s. If Charlie and Rose were to have more children, Edwin’s position could become precarious. These possessions represented Lola’s last promise to her son: a chance at a stable life, free from the burdens of financial worry. It was the least she could do for him after everything they had endured.

But Edwin’s face twisted in distress as if her words had struck a nerve. He shook his head vigorously, his voice rising in desperation. “I don’t want to go. Dad, Rose, please let me stay with you. You promised you wouldn’t let her take me away!”