Wife ordered to pay husband $3,100 after affair and threats

A Taiwanese woman who engaged in an affair has been ordered to pay her husband a total of 100,000 yuan (approximately $3,100 USD) for emotional distress. The court's decision followed a series of explicit text messages between the wife, identified as Ms. Li, and her lover, Mr. Huang, which were discovered by her husband, Mr. Zhong.

Messages included phrases like "Baby needs to treat little OO gently" and "He will definitely squeeze me dry eventually," with the couple even referring to each other as "husband" and "wife." When confronted, Ms. Li allegedly defended her lover, warning Mr. Zhong, "If you touch him, I won't come home," and threatened to leave with their child if he pursued legal action.

Despite Mr. Zhong's attempts to reconcile, Ms. Li moved out and initiated divorce mediation. Mr. Zhong subsequently sued for 1 million yuan, citing severe emotional distress and a diagnosis of adjustment disorder. Ms. Li argued that Taiwanese law does not explicitly recognize "spousal rights" and that marital infidelity does not necessarily constitute an infringement on the marriage itself.

An initial ruling ordered Ms. Li to pay 50,000 yuan, after deducting a settlement amount paid by Mr. Huang. However, Mr. Zhong appealed the decision. The High Court of Kaohsiung reviewed the case, finding that the explicit conversations between Ms. Li and Mr. Huang had "severely shaken the foundation of marital trust." The court increased the total compensation for emotional distress to 200,000 yuan, ordering Ms. Li to pay an additional 50,000 yuan after accounting for Mr. Huang's contribution, bringing the total she must pay to 100,000 yuan. The ruling is final.