A Nigerian woman, Jace Ekeh, has recalled how her pastor ex-husband weaponized her infertility issues during their marriage, saying “even mad women are r@ped on the streets and get pregnant.”
According to Jace, she walked away from her marriage in July 2018 after years of enduring abuse.
Jace had shared the story on Facebook 10 years ago but pretended it happened to another woman because she didn’t want attention or pity as well as to protect the identity of her ex-husband and save her failing marriage.
Taking to Facebook on Thursday, May 14, 2026, she admitted that she and her ex-husband were actually the couple in the story, adding that she is now walking in a place of healing and will no longer bury her truth in the ‘third person’ and metaphors.
While her ex-husband’s words no longer hurt, she hopes, she hopes that by sharing her truth, she breaks the silence of women carrying the weight of shame and pressure regarding infertility.
“I have not been very accurate with my writing after all. Facebook memories can be dangerous because sometimes they remind you of versions of yourself that survived things you no longer even have the strength to describe properly,” she wrote.
“This morning, Facebook showed me a post I made almost 10 years ago.
“Back then, I used to write my experiences in third person.
“I would change names, change dates and alter parts of the story; pretend it happened to ‘someone else.’ I didn’t want attention or pity but I couldn’t find anyone who would listen and not judge him as I wanted to save my failing marriage so badly.
“I knew how important it was to speak about the pain but since saying “This happened to me” felt too heavy at the time, ‘na Facebook collect am’ but it was coated as someone else.
“The woman in the story was called Jenny but Jenny was me. And the “certain man” was my ex-husband.
“What shocked me most this morning was realizing that I had almost forgotten the exact words he said until Facebook memories brought them back word for word.
‘It’s four years after marriage and you cannot give birth to a child. Even mad women are r@ped on the streets and get pregnant.’
“Then came another blow. ‘You’ll grow old and never have a child.’
“He said it. Those were his exact words. I can almost hear them in his voice as I write.
“At the time, I was already carrying the silent pain many women battling infertility understand too well. The medications, the waiting, the monthly disappointments, the hope, the prayers, the quiet crying and the pretending to be okay in public.
“And then to have the person who should be your safest place weaponize that pain against you… it does something to your mind.
“What many people do not understand about emotional abuse is that the bruises may not show physically, but words can sit inside someone’s body for years.
“Reading it just after morning devotion today made me realize how much of my story I buried in metaphors just to survive emotionally. Thankfully they don’t hurt anymore.
“And maybe some people reading this right now are still doing the same thing, laughing through pain, writing indirectly, hiding behind “someone I know.” Pretending certain stories belong to ‘another woman.’ I understand.
“But one thing I know now is that no human being should weaponize another person’s deepest pain to feel powerful. Not infertility, not finances, not family background, not appearance and not even past mistakes and that includes my ex-husband’s. Yes.
“When I share my story, I don’t include his name or tag him because it was his past. I’ve forgiven and moved on but I know how powerful the lessons from my experiences are and how much healing and courage they bring to the many who need it. That’s why we’re telling it.
“Love does not deliberately st@b where it knows you are already bleeding.
“And to every woman silently carrying the pain of waiting for a child while also carrying the weight of shame, pressure or cruel comments…
I see you. More importantly, God sees you too.
