Chinese Wife Discovers Husband's 16-Year Secret Affair When Mistress Appears at Family Funeral

The wife discovered her husband's mistress dressed in mourning attire at her father-in-law's funeral, behaving as if she were a family member.

In China's Shandong province, a woman uncovered her husband's 16-year affair during a funeral ceremony. The wife, surnamed Shang, noticed an unfamiliar woman among the mourners at her father-in-law's funeral. According to South China Morning Post, Shang had been married to her husband, Wang, for 19 years.

During June 2022, following the death of her father-in-law, Shang observed a strange woman among those attending the funeral. This woman, identified as Wen, introduced herself as a daughter-in-law and was weeping beside the coffin, acting as though she were part of the family.

Bewildered by Wen's behavior, Shang questioned Wang, who provided ambiguous and evasive responses, intensifying her suspicions. Subsequently, Shang brought the matter to court, where the full details of the 16-year affair were revealed.

Wang had met Wen during the third year of his marriage to Shang. He deceived his wife by claiming to be away on long-haul trucking assignments, but was actually residing with Wen in another city, where they had conceived a child together.

Although neighbors stated that Wang and Wen were not officially married, they referred to each other as husband and wife. When Wen required surgery, Wang completed the consent form, identifying himself as her husband.

Despite this evidence, Wang maintained in court that he and Wen had never formally registered their marriage and were merely "supporting each other."

However, the court determined that Wang had effectively established a common-law marriage with Wen while still legally married to Shang, constituting bigamy. Wang received a one-year prison sentence, and his subsequent appeal was rejected by the court.

In China, where a monogamous marriage system is enforced, bigamy is considered a violation of marital integrity. Conviction for bigamy can result in imprisonment for up to two years. Additionally, the legal spouse is entitled to seek financial compensation for emotional and material damages during divorce proceedings.