This is the story of a young mother whose dream life turned into a nightmare, but who found unexpected support from her in-laws and the courage to keep moving forward despite the pain.
Faye (name anonymised) was 24 when she believed she was building her dream life. At 29, she’s now a single mother of two, living with her in-laws in Alam Damai while her ex-husband—the man she gave up everything for—lives with his mistress.
Originally from China, Faye met her future husband, a Malay pilot five years her senior, while studying in Malaysia. He was charming, fun, and eager to settle down. She converted to Islam for him in 2020, just before COVID-19 hit. The two got married that year—she was 24, he was 31—and began what she thought would be a lifelong partnership.
They had two children together, now aged two and four. But even early in their marriage, something felt off. Faye Wong, taller than her husband by half a head, says the relationship was never one of equals—but she was committed.
“I never asked him for more than half. I never relied on him for money—only for the children,” she said.
But then the truth emerged: her husband had been cheating on her not just during the marriage, but even before they tied the knot. The final straw came when she discovered he had been having an affair with a local Malay woman—someone he would eventually choose over his family.
The betrayal sent Faye into a spiral. She lost over 25kg, dropping from 75kg after childbirth to a skeletal 49kg. Depression soon followed, culminating in suicidal ideation.
“I started thinking about tying my kids to my body and jumping into the ocean,” she confessed.
That was when her father-in-law—himself a psychiatrist and a lecturer at Universiti Malaya—stepped in. He referred her to a psychiatrist who prescribed her Xanax. She’s been on the antidepressant ever since.
Surprisingly, her in-laws rallied around her. When they found out about the cheating, they flew to China—where she had fled for emotional support—to convince her to return to Malaysia.
They tried to mediate the situation. In a family intervention, they confronted the pilot and made him choose between his wife and his mistress. He swore on the Quran that he had cut off the affair.
But a month before their lavish wedding in China—paid for in part by her father to the tune of half a million Renminbi (RM 294,000) — Faye discovered he was still seeing the same woman. Despite knowing this, she went through with the wedding for the sake of her extended family, who had flown in for the event.
“I didn’t want to bring shame to my family,” she said.
Eventually, the in-laws gave up trying to fix the marriage. They disowned their own son and stood by Faye instead.
Now divorced as of January this year, Faye is trying to rebuild her life. The marital home in Cyberjaya stands empty—she refuses to return due to the painful memories. He, on the other hand, has been sneaking back to the house to take things Faye bought during the marriage. She has caught him stealing and even borrowing money from her under the guise of financial hardship due to the pandemic. He has yet to pay her back.
Despite everything, Faye is fiercely devoted to her children. Every day after work, she drives two hours from Cyberjaya to Alam Damai to tuck them into bed. Though her in-laws help care for the children while she works, Faye makes it a point to remain an active presence in their lives.
“My two sons are the only reason I’m still alive,” she said.
Faye’s story is not just about betrayal—it’s about the fragility of identity when everything you built your life on collapses. Before the divorce, she says she lived a “charmed life”—a supportive family, financial stability, a husband with a prestigious job, and a dream home.
“Now, I feel like no man will want me. When I go on dating apps, men stop talking to me the moment I mention I have two kids,” she shared.
Still, she holds onto a quiet dream: one day moving to Iceland or New Zealand with her children to start fresh, far from the expectations of in-laws, parents, and traditional roles. “All my life, I’ve lived for other people—my family, my husband, his family. Now I want to live for myself.”
The past may have shattered her, but Faye is determined not to let it define her. She’s realistic, even pragmatic, about the future. “Maybe in 10 years, when my kids are older and independent, I’ll consider marrying again. But until then, it’s just me and them.”
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