Contest Alert ⚠️ 1 Picture 1 Story Week #93

Hello everyone in this wonderful community! How is everyone doing? ♥️ I hope you’re all well! I wanted to take a moment to send my warmest greetings to all of you.

I want to thank all the amazing participants in this fantastic contest. I truly wish each of you the best of luck! 🤞 A special thanks to @suboohi for consistently hosting such a remarkable contest once again for week #93. I was thrilled to see this contest still thriving, and congratulations 🎉👏 to last week's winner 🏆!

Now, I'm excited to share the theme for the contest, "1 Picture 1 Story.” It may be a little emotional, but let’s dive in!

Title; Hope At Last 💔

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(This picture inside this thumbnail was gotten from freepik and edited with inshot app)

Splendour Chisom was a prominent figure known in dynamic market environments and elite boardrooms alike. As the CEO of Som Empire, a thriving fashion and logistics enterprise with a workforce of over 500 across Nigeria and Pakistan, she epitomized elegance, power, and unwavering success.

However, despite her acclaim and influence, Splendour often spent her nights alone, sipping wine and admiring the city lights from her penthouse terrace.

“Am I not beautiful?” she would wonder softly, tears glistening in her eyes. “Or am I simply cursed?”

Her stunning beauty—characterized by rich chocolate skin, high cheekbones, full lips, and mesmerizing eyes—drew admiration, yet men often appreciated her from afar. They respected her but rarely dared to approach her romantically, finding her looks, accomplishments, and commanding presence intimidating.

It felt as if she had become unreachable.

One evening, her phone rang with a call from her mother back in their village.

"My daughter," her mother began affectionately, "I’m turning 70 next week. I’ve invited your sisters and their partners; I want all my children with me."

A moment of silence followed, filled with unspoken thoughts.

After the call, Splendour lingered in her peaceful living room, her heart racing. The thought of facing yet another family gathering, where aunts would whisper and uncles would awkwardly pray for her to find “a suitable match,” filled her with dread. That night, she conceived a bold plan.

She reached out to a premium acting agency with a distinctive request: to hire a professional actor to pose as her fiancé for a week, offering him a substantial fee.

This is how Emmanuel “Emma” came into her life.

Emma was a tall, soft-spoken actor in his forties, with charming dimples and a warm presence that made others feel appreciated. Their first meeting was strictly business; she handed him a one-million-naira check along with a document outlining their "relationship narrative" for him to memorize.

As they drove to the village in her sleek black SUV, they practiced their roles. Emma deftly played his part, displaying gentle smiles, light touches, and affectionate glances. Her family was quickly charmed. Her sisters teased her, her mother shed tears of joy, and her father exchanged a knowing handshake with Emma.

Then, an unexpected connection started to develop.

One evening, after dinner, Emma cracked a joke that made Splendour laugh genuinely—a deep, hearty laugh she hadn’t shared in years. Later, as they carried firewood to the backyard, their hands accidentally brushed, causing her to pause. He gazed into her eyes and said, “You’re not cursed, Splendour. You’re simply strong. And that makes smaller men uneasy.”

Her heart raced.

By the fourth day, their interactions had shifted from mere performance. They engaged in deep conversations, shared comfortable silences, and discussed their childhood dreams, fears, and aspirations. On their last night before heading back, underneath a starry sky, Emma took her hand.

“What started as pretend,” he said, “I don’t want to remain as a pretense anymore.”

A lump formed in her throat, and tears filled her eyes as she whispered, “I don’t want to pretend either.”

Upon returning to the city, they were no longer just acting—they had truly fallen in love, a love Splendour had never thought possible.

A year later, their wedding was a joyful celebration filled with laughter, dancing, and well-wishes. Her mother beamed with pride, her sisters wept with joy, and nine months later, Splendour welcomed beautiful twins—a boy and a girl.

She named them Chidera (What God has written) and Ogechi (God's time).

Now, every time she saw Emma holding their children or kissing her forehead at night, she would smile and softly reflect, “I was never cursed. I was simply waiting for God’s timing.”

Thanks for going through my post i really appreciate your efforts.

Sincerely, I Want To Invite @richy20, @josepha, And @avalanch To Join The Contest In This Community And Share Their Wonderful Entry Participation and also their comments

Thanks 🤝💔❣️