Author: Valentine

Content Writer

Between Hope and Hustle episode 5

1 year ago

Episode 5: Building a Name, Brick by Brick Returning to Enugu after NYSC felt different this time. I wasn’t just another graduate looking for direction—I came home with something to offer. With my new role as a Community Youth Ambassador, I began working with schools across the state, organizing sessions on mental health, financial literacy,

Between Hope and Hustle episode 4

1 year ago

Episode 4: Graduate With No Guarantee Graduating from a Nigerian university is a strange mix of joy and quiet panic. On the outside, there’s celebration—photos in gowns, friends hugging, “we made it” chants echoing through hostel corridors. But inside? Inside, most of us were asking the same terrifying question: “What next?” For me, the celebrations

Between Hope and Hustle episode 3

1 year ago

Episode 3: The Sickness That Almost Broke Me Final year in UNN came with its own kind of madness. If you weren’t battling departmental project delays, you were fighting to meet up with fees, feeding, or chasing your lecturers for signatures. But I didn’t expect the biggest battle to come from my own body. It

Between Hope and Hustle episode 2

1 year ago

Episode 2: School Fees and Stubborn Faith If there’s one thing UNN taught me faster than any lecture, it was that survival on campus took more than brains. It took grit, grace, and sometimes, a well-timed miracle. After my mother’s health scare in 300 level, my hustle went from necessity to obsession. She had barely

Between Hope & Hustle

1 year ago

A Coolvalstories Production — Episode 1: Born Into Broke They say poverty teaches wisdom, but in my case, it taught me survival. My name is Chidera Uzo. I was born in the heart of Enugu to a father who fixed cars under a mango tree and a mother who sold vegetables at Ogbete Market. Life

The Narcissist Pastor episode 19&20

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 19: The Breaking Point Daniel sat in the church office, staring at his reflection in the glass window. He barely recognized himself. For years, he had been the one in control—the one giving orders, the one deciding how things should be. He had built his authority on power and submission, convinced that

The Narcissist Pastor episode 17&18

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 17: A Man at War with Himself Daniel couldn’t sleep. For years, Ruth had been predictable—obedient, quiet, always seeking his approval. Now, she was different. Stronger. She no longer looked at him with fear. She no longer tiptoed around him. She was slipping away, and he didn’t know how to stop it.

The Narcissist Pastor episode 15&16

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 15: The Storm Before the Calm Ruth stood her ground, her chest rising and falling with each deep breath. Daniel had never seen this version of her before—the woman who refused to be silenced. For years, he had controlled every part of her life. But now, that control was slipping through his

The Narcissist Pastor episode 13&14

1 year ago

Narcissistic pastor Episode 13: The Fire Inside Ruth barely slept that night. Her heart raced with a mixture of excitement and fear. She had taken a step—a bold, dangerous step. Someone wanted her design. As the early morning sun crept into the room, she quickly got out of bed and hid her sewing materials before

The Narcissist Pastor episode 11&12

1 year ago

Narcissistic pasta Episode 11: Cracks in the Mask Ruth moved carefully around the house, her mind racing. Daniel’s suspicion had shaken her, but she refused to let fear consume her. For years, she had let him dictate her life. But this time, she had something to fight for—her passion, her identity, her freedom. She continued

The Narcissist Pastor episode 9&10

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 9: The First Step of Rebellion Ruth sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers clutching the fabric she had brought home from Mama Bisi’s shop. She had spent the entire night thinking about the elderly woman’s words. “If this is your calling, you must embrace it.” But what if Daniel

The Narcissist Pastor episode 7&8

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 7: A Hidden Passion Resurfaces Ruth sat in the small sitting room, staring at the fabric she had bought from the market earlier that day. The vendor’s words kept replaying in her mind: “Are you a designer? You look like someone who would do well in fashion.” She ran her fingers over

The Narcissist Pastor episode 5&6

1 year ago

Narcissistic Pastor Episode 5: The Fear of Being Free The sun was beginning to set as Ruth stepped into the house. A strange mix of emotions swirled inside her—relief, guilt, and a hint of something she hadn’t felt in a long time: hope. Her lunch with Sister Grace had felt like stepping into another world.

The Narcissist Pastor episode 3&4

1 year ago

The narcissistic Pastor Episode 3: A Life on Hold Ruth sat by the window, staring outside as the church members gathered for the weekly women’s fellowship. Laughter and chatter filled the air, but she was not allowed to be part of it. Pastor Daniel had made it clear—she didn’t need to attend. “A pastor’s wife

The Narcissist Pastor

1 year ago

The narcissistic Pastor Episode 1: The Perfect Pastor Pastor Daniel stood on the pulpit, his voice echoing through the packed church. His sermon today was about love and kindness in marriage. He quoted scriptures, urging men to cherish their wives and treat them like queens. The congregation nodded in admiration, some taking notes, others

THE WEIGHT OF A MAN Episode 3:

1 year ago

— The hospital smelled like antiseptic and prayers. Dolapo was in labor. Twelve hours. No progress. I sat on the bench outside the maternity ward, drenched in sweat. Not from heat—but from fear. Fear that something would go wrong. That this child we had sacrificed everything for might not make it. That the woman who

THE WEIGHT OF A MAN Episode 2

1 year ago

— : “What the World Expects” — The morning after that emotional conversation with Dolapo, something changed between us. Not magically. Not like those Instagram couples who snap back into laughter and dancing. But something softened. She looked at me with different eyes, and I stopped walking around with that bitterness in my chest. But

THE WEIGHT OF A MAN

1 year ago

A Coolvalstories Production — Episode 1: “This Wasn’t in the Vows” They say marriage is sweet when you marry your friend. I thought I married my best friend. I, Tunde Martins, a 31-year-old civil engineer from Ibadan, stood at the altar barely eight months ago, holding the hands of the woman I had chased for

When The Honeymoon Ends episode 6

1 year ago

— Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 6: “Rainbows After Rain” Word Count: ~1,250 words Amaka’s POV — They say tough times never last—but when you’re inside the storm, it feels like forever. Chike and I had seen some of our darkest days—empty pots, mounting bills, bruised egos, and sleepless nights filled with more silence

When The Honeymoon Ends episode 5

1 year ago

— Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 5: “Love in the Middle of Lack” Word Count: ~1,200 words Amaka’s POV — It’s easy to hold hands when you’re walking through a garden. It’s harder when you’re stumbling through a storm, soaked, hungry, and unsure where the next step leads. For Chike and me, love began

Author: Valentine

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