In China, a curious tale of office romance, big money, and courtroom drama has captivated the public. At the heart of it is Zhu, a businesswoman from Chongqing, who fell for her much younger employee, He. The twist? Both were already married.
As their relationship deepened, the two made plans to leave their respective spouses. He followed through, first divorcing his wife, Chen. But that’s not all. Zhu transferred Rs 3.7 crore to Chen, intended as compensation and child support. With that, He moved in with Zhu, seemingly ready for a fresh start.
Zhu owns a company, though the exact details remain unclear. Still, the relationship and its fallout has gripped Chinese social media. It has fanned debates about love, loyalty, and financial power. According to a Chinese media house, questions around wealth and responsibility are being hotly debated online.
A year into cohabitation, however, the romance soured. Zhu, deciding the relationship was no longer working, demanded the money back. She took it to court. The Chongqing court initially sided with her, stating that the transaction was against public order and good customs, and declared the transfer an “invalid gift.” It ordered the sum to be returned.
But Chen and He weren’t done. They appealed. And in the second round, the higher court saw things differently.
This time, judges ruled that Zhu had failed to prove the money was a gift made directly to Chen. Instead, the court saw it as a payment made on He’s behalf, part of his divorce arrangement and support for his child.
The court did not stop there. It criticised Zhu’s conduct, accusing her of using her financial position to push He into divorce, only to later pull the plug and try to reclaim the funds. The court said this reflected a lack of integrity.
As a result, the earlier judgment was reversed. Chen was allowed to keep the money.
Online users did not hold back. One remarked that securing a handsome husband could one day lead to being noticed by a wealthy woman and becoming rich overnight. Another commented that it was absurd to pay such a huge amount just to help a subordinate get divorced.
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