A man in southern China inadvertently exposed his extramarital affair when a failed electronic payment for contraceptive pills led pharmacy staff to contact his wife.
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The incident took place at the Pinggang branch of Dashenlin Pharmacy in Yangjiang, Guangdong province. According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), the man whose identity has not been revealed attempted to pay 15.8 yuan (US$2.2) for birth control pills using his mobile payment code.
However, due to what he described as a “system problem,” the transaction did not go through.
Pharmacy call reaches wife
SCMP reported that staff members, attempting to recover the unpaid amount, dialled the phone number listed on the man’s membership card. Instead of reaching him directly, the call was answered by his wife.
When she questioned the nature of the purchase, the employee explicitly confirmed that it was for contraceptive pills. The disclosure immediately exposed the man’s extramarital relationship.
The length of the couple’s marriage and the duration of the affair remain undisclosed.
Fallout and demand for accountability
{{/usCountry}}The length of the couple’s marriage and the duration of the affair remain undisclosed.
Fallout and demand for accountability
{{/usCountry}}In a video post shared online, the man accused the pharmacy of causing the collapse of his marriage. He alleged that the incident had affected “two families” and demanded accountability from the pharmacy.
“Now my wife knows everything, and two families are on the brink of disintegration. I want to know – does your pharmacy bear any responsibility?” he said angrily.
He provided a receipt for the purchase, a screenshot of the chat history between his wife and the store clerk, and a police report dated August 12 issued by the Pinggang Police Station under the Gaoxin Branch of the Yangjiang Public Security Bureau.
Legal experts weigh in
Fu Jian, director of Henan Zejin Law Firm, told Elephant News, as cited by SCMP, that pursuing legal action would be challenging.
“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,” Fu said.
He added: “However, if he wants to pursue legal action, he must provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate a causal link between the pharmacy’s disclosure of information and the collapse of his marriage. Based on the current circumstances, the phone call made by the pharmacy staff appears legitimate and not intended to leak information, making it extremely difficult for the unfaithful man to claim a violation of his rights.”