While police investigations gradually uncover the shady history behind the former in-laws of murdered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi, little is known about her own family, especially her parents.
Ms Choi, the eldest of three daughters, was reportedly born and bred in Hong Kong, with her family's business dealings in China affording her a comfortable lifestyle.
After the arrest of her former husband Alex Kwong and his family in connection with Ms Choi's murder, her mother returned to Hong Kong to care for her children, local media reported.
Ms Choi had two children with her former husband before they divorced on an undisclosed date. She also has two other children with her partner Tam Chuk Kwan, with whom she had a matrimonial ceremony in 2016 that was never officially registered.
Before the murder, Ms Choi's mother, who has not been named but goes by 'Fifth Sister' on her Douyin social media account, regularly shared snippets of her life, including videos of her daughters and herself.
Other posts hinted at her preference for high living, with one video showing stacks of luxury goods including Hermes Birkin bags, fur coats, Louis XIII cognac bottles and ruby-crusted Vertu phones, along with an apparent sneak peek of her own wedding portrait.
Little is known about Ms Choi's father. Her mother has not shared images of him on her Douyin account, often appearing alone in her video posts or at event openings.
Instead, she has shared images of her in-laws — Mr Tam's father is the founder of the TamJai Yunnan Mixian eatery chain — and a photo of Ms Choi's grandfather.
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Her account on the video-sharing platform painted a portrait of a woman who derived much joy from her family.
She called Abby her "kind-hearted big baby" in videos of the occasional model making her rounds on the European fashion circuit, including attending fashion shows in Paris.
She penned an adoring caption for a video of Ms Choi's last birthday celebration, where she noted the attendance of Hong Kong Heavenly King Aaron Kwok's wife Moka Fang, describing Ms Choi as an outstanding, filial daughter, and saying that "bringing up grateful children was a parent's blessing".
Ms Choi's mother was fond of the younger Mr Tam, describing her son-in-law as "super filial" and always prepared with "thousands of words of care" whenever they met.
She was also complimentary about her in-laws, expressing her gratitude towards Mr Tam's parents in one post for cherishing her "big baby daughter" like a princess.
While Ms Choi's mother has not spoken amid the ordeal of her daughter's case being played out in court and Hong Kong's media, she has been liking comments on her Douyin videos from netizens expressing their condolences.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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