What began as a love story quickly turned into a nightmare for Adilah (name for anonymity), a Malaysian woman in her 40s who says she was deceived by her foreign husband. 

The foreign husband allegedly used her name to grow his business empire in Malaysia, according to a report.

From Love to Betrayal

Adilah, who once ran a small eatery, met the man while she was still married to her first husband. At the time, the latter had fallen ill. The foreign businessman, who owned a nearby furniture shop, would often stop by a restaurant next to hers. Their casual encounters soon turned into friendship, and eventually fostered affection.

“I divorced my first husband and married him because I believed he was sincere,” she said. “At first, everything seemed fine. He never talked about his business matters. Life was okay.”

But soon after their marriage, Adilah’s husband became controlling — forbidding her from going anywhere alone and showing signs of jealousy. Not long after, he persuaded her to apply for a business license and register a company under her name with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), claiming it would help him expand his business legally.

Used for Profit

Out of love, Adilah agreed. The business flourished, generating impressive profits. However, her happiness did not last. She later discovered that her husband already had a wife in his home country — and had secretly married another foreign woman after her.

“I felt cheated. I helpe...