CHAPTER 34 “CORDELIA”

©️ Opeyemi Akintunde
As Inspired by the DEEP ONE

I knelt on the floor long after my reading of Esther, whispering
through dry lips: “Lord, how do I go about this? Show me what to do.” And in the stillness of my spirit, examples flickered. Esther winning the king’s heart…not with protest, but with patience and wisdom. Delilah bringing down Samson…not with a sword, but with her womanly power. It was bitter.

It was not what I wanted. But it was clear. If I was going to buy time, if I was going to survive long enough to see Father Soji fall, then I had to play my role as Eve. Not reluctantly, not with stiff resistance, but with calculated surrender. I swallowed hard and whispered again, “Lord, give me grace.

Help me. Let him fall for me, not destroy me. If I must wear this mask, then give me the strength to carry it.” When he came in, I braced myself. He was expecting resistance coldness, hardness. But I had prepared. My body trembled, not from desire but from fear and strategy. I had arranged myself the way I had once only fantasized I would for a godly husband.

My heart screamed, this isn’t right, this isn’t pure, but my face carried only meekness. The moment he touched me, bile rose in my throat. He did all sorts of absurd things, things that felt like insults to my soul. My body ached under his weight, my spirit shrieked, but I swallowed it. There were moments I nearly broke…moments I wanted to shove
him off, grab something sharp, and plunge it into his chest.

But wisdom screamed louder: Don’t. He could overpower you. He could kill you. Not yet. Not this way. So I let the pain wash over me. Physical pain. Emotional pain. Soul pain. And through it all, I whispered inside, Lord, give me grace.

Let me live to fight another day. When he was finally done, he collapsed on the left side of the bed, breathing heavy. “For a virgin…” he smirked, his eyes roaming over me, “…you did so well.”

I forced a weak smile, masking the tears burning behind my eyes. “I asked for the Lord’s help,” I whispered. “Just tell me anything you want me to do for you. I am your Eve, you are my Adam.”

“Anything?” he pressed, his eyes gleaming. “Yes…” I breathed. My throat was dry, my tongue heavy, but I forced the words out. “Anything.” His lips curled into a smirk. “What if I told you to cast someone into the lake of fire?”

I died! My mouth went dry. My chest locked in terror. But I knew the truth: I was already in the water. There was no
avoiding being wet. I forced myself to bow my head and whisper, “If it pleases you, my husband… and if it serves a divine purpose.”

His smirk widened. He leaned closer, his voice low and sharp. “Then cast Cordelia into the lake of fire tonight.” The words struck like lightning through my bones. My breath
caught.

Cordelia. The room spun. My heart roared in my ears. And I realized the mask I had chosen to wear had brought me into
the deadliest test yet.

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