A Singaporean man has been unsuccessful in his legal bid to recover S$468,000 (approximately $369,200) that he spent on lavish gifts for his former girlfriend. The Singapore High Court ruled that the money was "willingly" spent by Chander Agarwal on Felicia Lee and that he had no expectation of repayment.
Agarwal, the CEO of a logistics company, met Lee, a former flight attendant, in 2019. Their romantic relationship lasted from September 2022 until December 2023, when it ended after Agarwal suspected Lee of infidelity. Agarwal initiated legal proceedings in March 2024, claiming that Lee had requested interest-free loans for various expenses, including S$206,000 in credit card charges, S$129,000 for overseas trips, S$17,000 for a fengshui master, and S$20,000 for life insurance premiums.
Lee contended that the funds were gifts given out of love and affection, not loans. The judge sided with Lee, noting the lack of documentary evidence from Agarwal to support his claim of loans. The court observed that Agarwal "displayed a consistent pattern of showering [Lee] with lavish gifts" even before their relationship began and had assured her that repayment was not expected.
In his written judgment, the judge stated that Agarwal, described as "a man of ample means," was clearly smitten with Lee. Text messages presented in court showed Lee expressing awe at the expensive gifts and sometimes reluctance to accept them. The judge concluded his ruling by quoting William Congreve, noting that intense emotion can turn love to hatred and that "hell [has] a fury, like a woman scorn'd," adding that "such emotion is not the sole province of one gender."