Once She Came Like a Flash novel Chapter 7

**Faith Didn’t Survive Time – by Aadi Sharma**
**Chapter 7**

Lola’s eyes widened in shock as Charlie’s accusations reverberated in her mind. The clarity of his words was drowned in a sea of disbelief; they felt utterly ludicrous.

“What… what did you just say?” she stammered, her heart racing.

Charlie smirked, a cruel twist to his lips. “Oh, don’t act so naive, Lola. Who else could possibly have drugged Edwin and stuffed him into the trunk of a car? If you wanted something, you could have simply asked. But resorting to kidnapping a child to get your way? That’s just revolting.”

The weight of his words pressed down on her. Lola shook her head vigorously, her voice quivering with a mix of shock and indignation. “This is absolutely impossible! Let Edwin speak for himself. I can’t believe he would ever accuse me of something so heinous!”

Charlie loomed over her, a menacing figure casting a long shadow. “Still in denial, huh? Fine. Let’s hear it straight from the source.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed the hospital with a sense of grim satisfaction. The moment the call connected, the anguished cries of Edwin filled the room, piercing through the thick tension like a dagger.

“She tried to take me! I don’t want to go with her! I’m scared!”

The raw desperation in Edwin’s voice struck Lola like a thunderbolt, sending her heart plummeting. She fought to regain her composure, her voice trembling but steady. “Edwin, sweetheart, it’s Mom. I would never hurt you, not ever. Please, think carefully about what really happened. Tell them the truth, please.”

But the boy’s cries only intensified, each word laced with fear and rejection. “You’re not my mom! I don’t have a mom like you! Go away!”

His wails were a torrent of pain and fury directed at her, a vivid testament to his rejection. Though he did not explicitly accuse her of wrongdoing, the accusatory stares of those surrounding her felt sharper than knives, each gaze a silent condemnation.

Her legs buckled beneath her, and she sank to the cold floor, feeling utterly defeated. How could her own child harbor such deep-seated hatred for her? Why wouldn’t he even utter a single word in her defense?

Lola felt the color drain from her face, her heart racing with disbelief. He had twisted the truth so brazenly, so thoroughly, that it left her gasping for breath.

Perhaps her despair was too palpable, as Charlie hesitated for a brief moment before continuing, his tone almost magnanimous. “For the sake of the years you dedicated to looking after Edwin, I won’t press full charges for kidnapping. A few days in detention should serve as a lesson.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving no room for her to defend herself.

Lola’s heart sank as she tried to shout the truth, to plead that Edwin was her son, but her voice fell on deaf ears. With both Charlie and Edwin denying her, no one was willing to listen.

The verdict was swift and merciless: three days in detention. It wasn’t a long sentence, but it shattered her spirit completely.

For those seventy-two hours, Lola curled up in the corner of the holding cell, her body a mere shell of despair. She neither ate nor drank, withdrawing into a silence that felt all-consuming.