Author: Valentine

Content Writer

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

When The Honeymoon Ends episode 4

1 year ago

— Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 4: “Between Us and the World” Word Count: ~1,150 words Amaka’s POV — There’s a special kind of pressure that creeps into your marriage—not from within, but from outside. The world starts whispering in corners: comparing, suggesting, questioning. And if you’re not careful, those whispers become voices in

When The Honeymoon Ends episode 3

1 year ago

— Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 3: “When Money Gets Funny” Word Count: ~1,130 words Amaka’s POV — Three months into our marriage, I stopped calculating love with butterflies. I started measuring it in power units, gas refills, and transport fare to work. Money—or the absence of it—was quietly strangling us. Chike had been

When The Honeymoon Ends episode 2

1 year ago

Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 2: “Uninvited Guests” Word Count: ~1,120 words Amaka’s POV — — Marriage, I’ve come to realize, doesn’t whisper its troubles. It taps gently at first, like NEPA flickering lights—until darkness settles and you’re left fumbling in unfamiliar territory. It had only been two months since Chike and I said

When The Honeymoon Ends

1 year ago

A Coolvalstories Production — Title: When the Honeymoon Ends Episode 1: “The Wedding Was Just the Beginning” Word Count: ~1,060 words — The hall glittered. Gold and white decorations hung like dreams from the ceiling. Cameras clicked. People clapped. The MC’s voice boomed over the speakers, and the crowd roared as Amaka and Chike danced

The Heavy Burden episode 9&10

1 year ago

EPISODE 9: TAKING THE LEAP Adesuwa sat in front of Mrs. Ogunde’s office, her hands shaking slightly. She still couldn’t believe how fast things were moving. Was she really about to start her own business? Mrs. Ogunde had offered to invest in her, helping her set up a small food kiosk in a better location.

The Heavy Burden episode 7&8

1 year ago

EPISODE 7: RISING FROM NOTHING Adesuwa woke up in Ireti’s small but comfortable home, feeling something she hadn’t felt in years—peace. For the first time in a long while, she didn’t have to worry about an abusive husband or an empty cooking pot. She started work at Ireti’s restaurant that morning, determined to prove herself.

The Heavy Burden episode 5&6

1 year ago

EPISODE 5: WALKING AWAY Adesuwa spent the night thinking. Every time she looked at her sleeping children, her resolve grew stronger. She couldn’t let them grow up in this toxic environment. By dawn, she had made her decision. She packed the little belongings she and her children had—mostly clothes and a few kitchen utensils. Her

The Heavy Burden episode 3&4

1 year ago

EPISODE 3: A GLIMPSE OF STRENGTH Adesuwa woke up to the sound of her children whispering. Osaro, the eldest, was trying to comfort his younger siblings, who were complaining of hunger. She sat up and looked around their tiny room. Efe was gone again. She sighed. What was she expecting? The last time he left

The Heavy Burden

1 year ago

EPISODE 1: THE HEAVY BURDEN Adesuwa sat on the old wooden bench outside her one-room apartment, staring at the empty pot on the fire. Her three children played nearby, their laughter masking the hunger that gnawed at their bellies. She sighed deeply, wiping sweat from her forehead as she fanned the fire with a piece

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 7

1 year ago

Healing isn’t linear. Some days, I felt like I was flying—confident, purposeful, glowing with a sense of freedom I once thought I didn’t deserve. Other days, I’d wake up with fear crawling over my skin, reliving memories I tried so hard to bury. But through it all, one thing remained constant: I wasn’t going back.

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 6

1 year ago

It was a Tuesday. Ordinary in every way. I had just returned from the cyber café after submitting my latest article to the magazine. I felt good—no, confident. I had written about reclaiming your voice after emotional abuse, and the editor had responded with one word: “Powerful.” I was humming as I unlocked the gate

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 5

1 year ago

They don’t tell you that freedom is messy. It’s not a clean break. It doesn’t come with instant peace or overnight joy. No—freedom comes in fragments. Like little pieces of glass scattered on the floor, waiting for you to walk barefoot across them before you can feel whole again. The first week away from Chuka,

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 4

1 year ago

The plan wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t even smart. But it was mine. I had no grand escape mapped out with a GPS tracker or a burner phone and fake identity like in the movies. All I had was desperation… and courage that had taken years to grow. The night I chose to flee was ironically

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 3

1 year ago

It was a Wednesday morning when the mirror finally spoke. Not in words, of course, but in silence. A deep, penetrating silence that made me see everything I had refused to face for years. I had just finished taking a bath. The scent of jasmine and vanilla lingered on my skin, a luxury I once

Living In Luxury, Dying In Silence episode 2

1 year ago

People envy what they see on the outside. They don’t ask questions—they just assume. To the world, I was the girl who had it all. A mansion with four bedrooms, marble floors, and a walk-in closet bigger than my entire childhood apartment. A fridge stocked with imported wine. Brunches served on gold-rimmed plates. Ankara from

Author: Valentine

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