Hong Kong – Forgiving one’s partner after discovering an affair is a complicated issue in marriage. Some marriages break after an affair while others are given a second chance. Hong Kong superstar Sammi Cheng chose the second option for her husband Andy Hui after finding out about his fling with actress Jacqueline Wong on April 16.
On April 18, Cheng went to Instagram and wrote about the importance of forgiveness and understanding via a quote of 1 Corinthians 13:7.
The caption emphasized the importance of teamwork in marriage.
“This is a lesson in our marriage. During this period, we experienced emotional ups and down together, and we also talked about the incident for quite some time,” wrote Cheng.
Although she never explicitly mentioned the incident in her post, this was the first time Cheng publicly commented on the scandal after it broke out.
Cheng mentioned the importance of mutual forgiveness in marriage “to further develop the true meaning of the word.”
She added how marriage is not always smooth sailing and happy, but experiences trials and highs and lows: “Let the relationship between the husband and wife lead the way forward, to face each other’s weaknesses, to never give up on yourself and each other, to correct each other, and raise issues with each other.”
Cheng sees these experiences and lessons as a way to get back on track and further progress in one’s marriage.
She also commented that after some prayer, “the burden on the shoulders seems to be a lot lighter.”
“I hope everything will calm down … After today, I will only look forward and continue step by step,” she wrote.
Read her Instagram post below:
Meanwhile, South China Morning Post reported that some netizens are unhappy with Cheng’s decision to forgive and forget, and are wondering if she is choosing this option to comply with Chinese traditions that place the husband as the central figure in the family.
The Star Online reported on the comments of Weibo users such as “I found that this is the norm now, the men cheat, most women choose to forgive, and after a few years it’s like nothing ever happened.” The comment continued with, “But when the women cheat, most end in divorce and the women keep getting bombed by the public.”
Another Weibo user analysed Cheng’s post and noticed that the affected wife never commented on how she felt about the scandal. “Her message was full of tolerance and understanding,” wrote the Weibo user. “She talked about being a couple, talked about her parents, her family. She talked about a lot of things, but there’s nothing about how she feels.”
In Western culture, it is an accessible option for a spouse to leave a marriage due to infidelity. However, netizens in China’s version of Twitter noted that this is not the case in China wherein women struggle being a divorcee or a single mother.
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