The Police Report / Recollections of Meeting Her – Part 3
Tuesday, continued…
Anna took a few deep breaths to steady herself, trying to hold back the tears. She continued speaking, her voice steady but tinged with emotion.
“As I mentioned, I was scared for my personal safety. I had the distinct impression that Lu Jinhu would hit me because I wasn’t giving in to his demands. Before arriving at the Key Plaza Hotel, I hadn’t been able to return the ring he gave me, but I had already taken it off my finger.”
“I know it was poor judgment, but in a moment of desperation, I threw the ring at his feet, hoping he would pick it up. That way, I could move away from him without having to hand it over directly. Instead, he slapped me across the face and verbally abused me. Then someone knocked me to the ground. I believe it was his new wife, Yang Lin, who joined in the verbal assault.”
“Yang Lin told me I had no right to throw the ring at Lu Jinhu. I realized she was right, but she went on to say that they would be calling the police to have me arrested for stalking and assaulting them. My response was that they could, and that the CCTV footage would back up my version of events. I told them to leave me alone so I could collect my belongings and leave the hotel.”
Anna paused for a moment, reaching for a glass on the table to take a sip of water. Before she could continue, Officer Mu interrupted her.
“Madam Hou, you just mentioned that you were previously engaged to Mr. Lu. Can you explain how you ended up marrying CEO Hou? We need to have this clearly documented in this matter.”
Anna composed herself and replied, “CEO Hou and I met briefly about six months ago when he visited my firm in Melbourne for business related to Hou Enterprises. He made quite an impression on me, and I believe I left an impression on him as well. We started communicating through messaging apps, just as friends. He knew about my engagement, and he was clear that he would respect my relationship with Lu Jinhu. He also made it clear that, regardless of the situation, he would always offer me support.”
“Lu Jinhu and I came to Australia to obtain our marriage certificate and have a public ceremony before his family and friends, since, according to him, they couldn’t travel. By the time we left Australia, though, I was seriously questioning our relationship. It was a chance meeting at the Australian Embassy with my now-husband that confirmed all my doubts. I knew right then that I couldn’t marry Lu Jinhu—only Hou Yi was the one I would marry.”
Anna took another pause, gathering her thoughts before continuing.
“It was fortunate that the embassy official was willing to help with the official paperwork when I explained the situation. Thanks to him, my husband and I were able to marry here in City T without having to go back to the capital to redo the paperwork. After leaving the embassy, I messaged Hou Yi, and we talked everything through. We decided that we wouldn’t take any further steps until I had properly ended things with Lu Jinhu.”
“The ring Lu Jinhu gave me was only on my finger when I was with him, because I hadn’t yet told him my decision. But when I wasn’t with him, I took it off, because it no longer meant what it was supposed to. I hadn’t been able to speak to Lu Jinhu about my decision before running into him and his wife outside the Civil Administration Bureau, right after they received their marriage certificate. In that moment, I realized I didn’t owe him any respect in ending our relationship, because he certainly didn’t respect me. But with how vicious they were to me, I forgot to hand the ring back.”
“I never told him my decision earlier, because I was afraid of his physical reaction. He seemed desperate for some sort of victory, and I let him have it, hoping it would keep me safe. I retreated from the situation and bumped into my husband. He knew I was going to the Civil Administration Bureau to tell Lu Jinhu our relationship was over, so he came to support me and met me there.”
“I was upset because I didn’t feel like I had walked away from the relationship with my head held high. Lu Jinhu told me that he had secured all my Australian assets, and that only made me feel worse. After discussing it with Hou Yi, we decided that we would ignore whatever anyone might say about our marriage. We went to the Civil Administration Bureau and registered our marriage. I kept the ring with me, intending to return it at the first opportunity—and as I’ve said, that’s exactly what I did.”
As Anna finished, she glanced toward Hou Yi. He turned to her, met her gaze, and gave her a small, reassuring smile. It was as though he was silently saying, I heard you. Thank you for trusting me and following my suggestion.
