I Rejected the Richest Guy in Church—Here’s Why I Don’t Regret It: Episode 19

I Rejected the Richest Guy in Church—Here’s Why I Don’t Regret It: Episode 19

EPISODE 19: Damage Control

Grace was right.

It didn’t take long for Charles to make his move.

Two days after that intense conversation at Sade’s Café, the youth WhatsApp group began to buzz again. It was just after midweek service, and I was lying on my bed, trying to process everything Grace had told me, when I saw the notification.

A forwarded flyer.

I opened it slowly.

A youth conference in Surulere.
List of speakers.
In the bottom corner, smiling confidently: Charles Adekunle — Relationship Coach & Youth Leader.

I scoffed. Relationship coach?

I was about to ignore it when another message dropped—this time, from Charles himself.

“Thank you all for the love and prayers. As many of you now know, my fiancée and I are walking into a new season together. Please pray for us as we prepare for what God is calling us to.”

That was it.

No tags.
No photos.
Just a cryptic post that confirmed what people had been whispering since last Sunday.

But I knew what it really was.

It wasn’t a testimony.

It was strategy.

He was getting ahead of the story before it slipped. Trying to flip the script before questions started flying. He knew I hadn’t accepted his proposal. He knew I had pulled back.

And now that I knew the truth—he was rushing to reshape the narrative. Control the optics. Protect his image.

And the girl in the shadows?

It was Grace.

The same Grace who sat with me at Sade’s Café, voice trembling as she told me what he had done to her… and to others.

I swallowed hard. The audacity was almost laughable. A man who nearly ruined lives now being celebrated as a kingdom builder?

I watched the replies roll in.

🎉 “Wow, congratulations sir!”
❤️ “God bless your union!”
🔥 “Ministry couple goals!”
🙌🏾 “More grace, more fire!”

I felt my stomach twist.

Not because I wanted to be in Grace’s shoes—God forbid. But because I could see how easily people could be fooled when all they saw was charisma, not character.

I didn’t type.
Didn’t like.
Didn’t explain.

Instead, I locked my phone and lay still.

This wasn’t just a game to him anymore—it was a cover-up. A performance. And I wasn’t going to be the one to interrupt it with noise.

Grace had warned me: He might try to embarrass you, flip the script. Don’t respond. Let truth speak louder than reaction.

So I stayed silent.

Because deep down, I knew…

This wasn’t the end of the story.

It was just the beginning of exposure.

To be continued…