Troy. Love vs Money!

Usual story. Boy meets girl, girl pretends for a while. Boy presses on..they get into a relationship. Boy gets tired, girl begins the chasing...Blah...Blah...They get married.     This is every one's story but not Troy and Cynthia's. Troy and Cynthia are vice presidents in their respective companies. These companies operate in the same industry so they are very well placed and have equal economic abilities. Because their customers are the same, they find themselves trying to sell to the same people.           Since they're at opposite sides trying always to outsmart or outsell the other, a union of any kind would simply be unthinkable. Troy a 32 year old African-American whose father came to America in the 50's grew up in a closely knit family. Because he did not come from a rich background, planned to succeed in life. So he got where he was by merit, which means he would do what ever it takes to stay at the top and maybe eventually buy over his company.          27 year old Cynthia on the other hand was born with two silver spoons. Her grand father is a billionaire who owns the company she now works, her father is a federal judge with a large income. After graduation, her grandfather decided she was going to work with him, so she started work as vice president , a potential candidate for the top job in future. As  things unfold, she discovers she likes Troy. strange. They are corporate enemies! Unknown to her Troy also has been admiring her from a distance.            Eventually they get into a secret but serious relationship and decided they wanted to get married. Grandfather is furious,Troy's employers are mad. They're at a fix, each contemplating the consequences  of loosing their most important staff. But suddenly both companies realize how profitable this union would be to their respective companies. So they impose stern  conditions. First, Cynthia's grandfather would only accept this on the condition that Troy will come over to his company and accept a lesser position and salary. Troy's employers threatened by this development more than doubled his salary and insist that Cynthia must after the marriage come over to their company or Troy forfeits his job. Infact,they want him to marry her immediately.            Troy is now faced with two choices, one of economic independence and marital bliss.

STEPH!

       Steph is a very brilliant student of Theatre Arts department of The University of Benin. Some of the students would usually stage plays independently at other universities.        Steph and her group of friends in the department loved that, because they could raise money for themselves to pay bills. This they did at the end of every semester. In the second semester of her second year, Steph and her friends decided to go stage a play in the city of Jos, Nigeria.       She was the protagonist. The ovation? Loud! She was the center of attraction.  At the university restaurant later that evening, a tall, handsome stranger (obviously a student) pulled the extra seat beside Steph. She couldn't help but notice the crispness of his shirt, his neatly cut hair, and the way his pair of glasses elegantly sat on his nose.       Edmond. He loved Sandra's performance, stage confidence and everything in between. He was a law student in that university. Phone numbers changed hands, to the admiration and jealousy of other crew members.      For the following two weeks, long stretched phone calls were constant, he eventually came to Benin to meet Steph's mum and family. His "brilliance" dazzled them. Steph needed no more conviction that this was the man of her dreams. She wouldn't want to lose him, and as such would move over to visit him in Jos at the slightest invitation. This she did throughout the 1st semester of her third year; back and forth between Benin and Jos.       On one of such trips, Edmond appealed to her to stay longer and perhaps start school there, Since they were so much in love. As she wouldn't let her prince charming go, she decided to relocate to Jos and live with him in a rented apartment off campus.  No sooner had she moved in with him, that she realized he was violent. He would beat her with any and everything in sight. He's left permanent scars on her body, and wouldn't allow her to go see a doctor after being beaten up,for the fear of reprimand.        Readmission  into the University of Jos wasn't easy for Steph. Edmond decides she works as a cleaner in a dry leaning firm, while he goes to school, and whatever came in from her job fed them both.        A couple of years later, Edmond graduates and had to relocate to Lagos for his compulsory national youth service scheme. Steph followed. And of course this time, it was battering all night.        Steph is confused. she's lost her place in school. she's constantly physically and emotionally abused. she can't muster up enough courage to call her mum, as she had painted a picture of a perfect relationship to her.        Steph needs counsel.

TWICE BITTEN?

Agbor and Eme had always been good friends,they were in the same fellowship,had a lot of things in common including their love for God and their passion for singing.Eme had just come out of a relationship with one of Agbor's friends. she was traumatized. needed healing. Agbor tried his best to comfort Eme,sooner than expected, Agbor was pressing for a relationship. Eme's friends wondered if she could handle it,if she had healed enough to commit her heart to another,Eme wasn't sure her self but...

As the months flew by,'they' became an 'item' Agbor assured her that he will never hurt her and that he'll always be there for her, and true to his words he helped her regain her self esteem and confidence again.He wasted no time introducing her to members of his family who luved her immediately. He talked about her to any one and everyone who cared to listen.everyone admired and prayed for the best for them,they looked forward to better days.Agbor went for Youth Service (a compulsory 1 year national service for Nigerian College graduates) while Eme was rounding up her studies in the university; they had planned that upon graduation, they will get married.

On rounding off his compulsory service year, suddenly had a change of plan. He didn't want the relationship anymore. His reason. His parents want him to further his studies abroad and will therefore not want to tie her down to the relationship as Eme is beautiful and may have many suitors while he's away,he called off the relationship and told her to go ahead with her life.Eme was bewildered.she was willing to walk things out. afterall, she was through with school but he had made up his mind.

Months after he left Nigeria, she kept calling with options on how they could make things work,but HE HAD MADE HIS MIND UP.He even stopped returning her calls. Things had really gone bad she wondered what had happened to the love and faith they had in each other.Eme doesn't understand the real reason for his actions,he claims it's his parents but she thinks it's much more than that.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

THE "IDEAL" COUPLE

They walked into church this sunday morning full of smiles. An ideal, young couple. You would hardly notice it was their first day. Akin and Tessy were invited by a neighbour who knew they were new in town and that they wont mind worshipping in our church of 20 people.

Six months later, even those who know nothing about pregnancy detection can 'sense' that Tessy is expecting a baby. She comes less frequently to church now, those charming smiles are gradually giving way to occassional outbursts with members of her service group.

This day Tessy walks into the pastor's office crying. Akin had kicked her in the tommy yesternight as he frequently does (not minding the pregnancy), pushed her out of the house, and warned her sternly not to come into the house that night.

It was cold , but Tessy didnt have a choice. Afterall its better than being kicked around. she eventually found herself in a neighbour's house where she passed the night in the guise that the husband wasn't around and she couldn't stay at home alone.

When she woke up in the morning, he had gone to work, locked the door.

"Things will change sir. It's because I'm going through some challenges at work" Akin replies when the pastor confronted him. He got back home from the pastor's only to beat her for telling anyone their marital challenges.

It is two years now since they first came into church. He hasn't stopped beating her (she's got scars to show for it!)
and she's threatening to leave the marriage.

Should she?

LOVE WAHALA

Cynthia met Chris on a flight to Calabar. They hit it off immediately and people sometimes wondered what such unlike persons had in common. Chris was reserved while Boma was an extrovert; he could easily listen to people talk while she liked to talk. They courted for three and half years before getting married. They had an ideal wedding and honeymoon. Their first year as a couple was wonderful, and then they began to drift apart.

Five years into their marriage, Cynthia realises that her husband speaks in short sentences and spends more time in front of the television set. He spends after work hours and most of the weekend with ‘the boys’. Whenever Cynthia complains, he would ask if staying home would put food on the table. Now because Chris isn’t talking much, she has decided to focus more attention on their two children; with this new attitude, Chris has kept even more to himself. Cynthia worries about Chris’ safety, but once he’s home she accuses him of self- centeredness and that he leaves the upbringing of the children to her alone. she advises him to bring the woman he is seeing home as his second wife(he says he.s seeing nobody). With such frequent emotional outbursts, Chris has kept even quieter, the home is now more unbearable, the kids and Cynthia no longer look forward to his coming home.

PLS HELP THIS COUPLE!