A Chinese man’s attempt to secretly purchase birth control pills backfired after his mobile payment failed, inadvertently exposing his extramarital affair to his wife.
The man visited a pharmacy in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, and tried to pay 15.8 yuan (approximately Rs 200) for contraceptive pills using his mobile payment code. A “system error” prevented the transaction from going through, as per The South China Morning Post.
Pharmacy staff called the phone number linked to his membership card to recover the payment. The call accidentally reached his wife, who asked about the purchase. The staff member confirmed it was for contraceptive pills, immediately revealing the man’s affair.
The man claimed the incident destroyed two families and blamed the pharmacy. He submitted a receipt for the medication and a police report issued on August 12 by the Pinggang Police Station under the Gaoxin Branch of the Yangjiang Public Security Bureau.
Fu Jian, director of Henan Zejin Law Firm, told Elephant News that while the man could try to pursue legal action, it would be difficult.
“On one hand, the man’s infidelity is the primary cause of the family breakdown, and he must accept responsibility for his actions. On the other hand, if the pharmacy did violate his privacy, it should also be held legally accountable,” Mr Fu said.
Mr Fu added that the man would need to provide sufficient evidence showing a direct link between the pharmacy’s disclosure and the collapse of his marriage. He said that the phone call appears legitimate and was not intended to leak information, making it extremely difficult for the man to claim a violation of his rights.
Earlier, a Chinese woman installed a hidden camera in her husband’s rented apartment, where he lived with his mistress, and posted videos online exposing their affair. The court ruled that she must delete the footage but denied the mistress’s request for compensation or an apology.
