Taiwan woman works as club hostess, goes through abortions for abusive boyfriend

Does falling in love make you do irrational things? It would appear to be so for a woman from Taiwan, who accepted beatings, went through abortions and even became a nightclub hostess just to try and persuade her boyfriend to stay with her.

The woman, a 25-year-old named Xiao Yi, had just entered university when her father was involved in an accident which caused the death of another man. As a result, she had to find ways to pay the fine of over NTD5 million (S$215,000).

Although she was already working at a petrol station in the day, the debt also forced her to work as a relations officer in a nightclub. It was there that she met her former boyfriend, who was then an agent at the club.

The man eventually convinced her to work as a hostess in a sleazy nightclub, and she even underwent two separate abortions for him, Apple Daily reported.

Xiao Yi recounted to Apple Daily: "My boyfriend wanted me to quit school and told me that earning money was important. He wanted me to work in a club that offered sexual services because he said that I was not pretty enough to work as a guest relations officer in a normal club."

According to Apple Daily, the couple went into this line of work, with her boyfriend accompanying female guests in a karaoke bar. But both found themselves becoming poorer.

"He kept pestering me to give him money, and his temper also grew worse and worse. It was only later that I found out that he had started taking drugs, and used up all the money I gave him on drugs and gambling," Xiao Yi said.

However, she was still unwilling to let go of the boyfriend, saying that she saw the good in people too easily. To persuade her beau to stay, she concurrently worked at two nightclubs, but it was to no avail.

She recalled one incident when she was late to give him money. "He looked at me, and then suddenly grabbed my head and banged it against the wall before slapping me."

Xiao Yi has since broken up with her boyfriend and completely given up on him, but says that she does not hate him.

"It doesn't matter how people treat me, as long as I have a clear conscience myself," she said.

seanyap@sph.com.sg