THE DRIVER'S SECRET.

The soft glow of Collins' phone illuminated his small one-room apartment. It was almost 10:30 p.m. The ceiling fan turned lazily above his head while rain tapped gently against the zinc roof outside. The room wasn't luxurious—just a neatly arranged apartment in a quiet neighborhood in Enugu. A single bed stood against the wall, a small wardrobe occupied one corner, and a table held his laptop, a few books, and a framed Bible verse that read: > "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." — Psalm 37:5 Collins sighed as he dropped onto the bed after another exhausting day at work. At twenty-eight, life wasn't exactly what he had imagined. He worked long hours as a sales representative for a beverage company. The salary paid his rent and fed him, but it was far from the life he dreamed about. He wanted more. One day, he hoped to own his own business, build a beautiful home, and raise a family filled with laughter. But tonight, the apartment felt painfully quiet. He picked up his phone and opened f*******:. Notifications flooded his screen. Most were from pages he followed. Then one notification caught his attention. Friend Request Received. The profile name was Ruth Williams. Collins tapped on it. For a moment, he simply stared. Her profile picture showed a young woman with a bright smile, kind eyes, and natural beauty that didn't need heavy makeup to shine. He smiled to himself. "She's beautiful..." Curious, he opened her profile. She wasn't one of those people who filled their page with expensive cars or luxury vacations. Instead, there were photos of family gatherings, church events, books she enjoyed reading, and short messages about hope and faith. One post read: > "The right person will never make you beg to be loved." Collins found himself smiling. "She seems different." Without overthinking it, he accepted the friend request. Almost immediately, a message appeared. Ruth: Hello. Collins laughed quietly. "That was fast." He replied. Collins: Good evening. A few seconds later... Ruth: How are you? Collins: I'm fine. Thank you. And you? Ruth: I'm doing well. I hope I didn't disturb you by sending a friend request. Collins: Not at all. It's nice meeting you. The conversation flowed naturally. There were no awkward moments. No pressure. Just two strangers talking as though they had known each other for years. Hours slipped by unnoticed. They talked about work. Family. Church. Dreams. Favorite meals. Favorite movies. Before Collins realized it, it was already 2:00 a.m. He smiled as he typed his last message. Collins: I didn't realize it was this late. Ruth: Neither did I. A laughing emoji followed. For the first time in many months... Collins went to bed smiling. --- The days that followed brought something new into his routine. Every morning before work... He would receive a message. "Good morning. Have a blessed day." Every evening... They chatted for hours. Sometimes they laughed until midnight. Sometimes they talked about childhood memories. Sometimes they prayed for one another before going to sleep. Without realizing it... They had become an important part of each other's lives. --- One Saturday afternoon, Collins was having lunch when his phone rang. It was a f*******: voice call. He hesitated. Then he answered. "Hello?" A soft feminine voice replied. "So... this is what you sound like." Collins laughed. "And this must be Ruth." "I've imagined your voice so many times." "So have I." For almost an hour they spoke on the phone. When the call ended... Collins couldn't stop smiling. He looked at his phone and whispered, "Lord... If this is Your plan for my life... Please let it be something beautiful." --- Miles away, Ruth ended the same call with a smile. She hugged a pillow and looked out through her bedroom window. She had spoken to many people online before. But Collins was different. He wasn't trying to impress her with money. He wasn't asking inappropriate questions. He listened. He respected her. He made her laugh. For the first time in a long while... She felt safe talking to someone. Little did they know... A simple friend request was about to begin a journey of love, heartbreak, sacrifice, and secrets that would change their lives forever.