A man in Taichung, Taiwan took legal action after discovering that his girlfriend of three years had been deceiving him about her relationship status while continuing to ask him for money.
The man, surnamed Lai, claimed he lost about NT$1.7 million (approximately S$68,000) during his relationship with a nightclub hostess surnamed Lin.
The pair met in 2018 and began dating in March that year, remaining in a relationship until around mid-2021.
According to Mr Lai, Ms Lin frequently told him she wanted to get married and start a family together.
Throughout the relationship, she repeatedly asked him for financial help, citing reasons such as being short on cash, her mother’s cancer treatment, and car loan repayments.
Over time, Mr Lai gave her NT$1,334,282 (approximately S$54,000) in cash and via credit card.
Source: Mihaela Stoica’s Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only
He also handed over an additional NT$206,000 (approximately S$8,300) after Ms Lin claimed her mother needed money for medical expenses and wigs.
Separately, Ms Lin and a man surnamed Liu asked Mr Lai to pay NT$159,000 (approximately S$6,400) towards a car loan.
Mr Lai later discovered that Ms Lin had married Mr Liu in July 2020 and gave birth to a daughter in September that same year.
Source: Joaquín Corbalán on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Despite this, she continued to deny being in a relationship with Mr Liu and maintained the appearance that she was still dating Mr Lai until 2021.
Feeling deceived, Mr Lai sued Ms Lin and others, including car dealership operators he suspected of being involved, seeking compensation for his losses.
In the first trial, the Taiwan Taichung District Court dismissed Mr Lai’s claim, ruling that the money he gave Ms Lin was voluntary.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The court noted that it is common for individuals in romantic relationships to express affection through financial support, and found no clear evidence that Lin had intentionally committed wrongdoing.
Mr Lai appealed the decision, arguing that Ms Lin had deliberately created the illusion of a stable relationship while hiding her marriage.
After reviewing their messages and evidence, the High Court found that while Mr Lai often addressed Ms Lin affectionately, she rarely reciprocated in the same way.
It also found insufficient proof that she had explicitly promised marriage.
However, judges accepted that Ms Lin had concealed her marriage to Mr Liu and continued asking Mr Lai for money even after getting married and having a child.
The court ruled that money given before Ms Lin’s marriage could not be recovered, as it fell under voluntary gifting.
However, money obtained after her marriage, while she knowingly hid the truth, constituted a wrongful act.
Ms Lin was ordered to repay NT$690,715 (approximately S$28,000) to Mr Lai, including:
The ruling is final, with no further appeals allowed.
Also read: Man in China gives girlfriend over S$180K for safekeeping, she spends it on cosmetic surgery
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Mihaela Stoica’s Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.