He paid $17K to feng shui his girlfriend’s apartment, then sued her for $369K in 'loans' after they broke up. The judge questioned his 'common sense'
Without evidence to support his argument, the Singapore High Court rejected Agarwal's claim
Chander Agarwal, CEO of a logistics company, was deeply in love with Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, for over a year — until he suspected she was cheating on him. Throughout the relationship, and even before they got together, Agarwal consistently pampered his girlfriend and assured her that he didn't expect any repayment. However, that changed when the couple broke up after Agarwal doubted Lee of infidelity. Seeking revenge, the businessman filed a lawsuit in March 2024 to recover $367,832 from his ex-girlfriend, claiming that Lee had "requested various interest-free loans" from him during their relationship. On the other hand, his girlfriend argued that she’s not obligated to repay what she received as gifts. Court was held in on this matter on September 9, 2026. Without evidence to support his argument, the Singapore High Court rejected Agarwal's claim, according to the BBC from September 11, 2026.
A very expensive romance
Agarwal, the chief executive and managing director of TCI Express Limited, first met his girlfriend, Felicia Lee, on a flight in 2019 when she was working as a flight attendant. Following their meeting, they connected on Facebook and later became friends. In September 2022, the couple got into a romantic relationship. Lee later shifted to a job as an insurance agent and medical sales officer. Their WhatsApp text message threads extracted by the court show that Agarwal used to shower her with expensive gifts. In August 2022, when she asked how she would ever repay his favors, he told her, “No need. I am not a moneylender.”
'Anything you want...'
During the relationship, and even before, Agarwal claims to have paid S$129,000 ($101,397.96) for Lee's luxurious overseas trips, S$206,000 in credit card charges, and S$20,000 (US$15,800) for her life insurance premiums. In fact, he had paid S$17,000 ($13,359.27) to engage a feng shui master to “spiritually harmonize" her apartment. Besides, Agarwal showered his girlfriend with gifts, including high-end brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Prada. The text messages, which are now public, show how he spoiled her with expensive favors. "You don’t have a budget now. Anything you want," Agarwal told Lee in December 2022, while discussing an American Express Centurion card.
A bitter breakup
However, things changed a year later, when Agarwal suspected Lee of infidelity. Their relationship soured, and he was so embittered that he got “determined to extract the price from her," said the judge. In March 2024, the CEO filed a lawsuit claiming that Lee had requested various interest-free loans from him during the relationship and she owed him S$468,090 ($367,832). In a September 9, 2026, hearing in court, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin dismissed his claims.
The judge called Agarwal’s claims “contrary to common sense,” as there was no written proof of his argument. While he argued that everything in their relationship was transactional, Kin rejected it due to a lack of evidence. Agarwal also claimed to have a handwritten document that Lee signed, agreeing to a loan. But the judge found it suspicious that he didn’t bring up the document until seven months into the lawsuit.
Smitten and bankrupt
Agarwal’s case is an example of romance gone wrong. When smitten with their partner, people, especially men, tend to spend exorbitant amounts of money, which later leads to resentment after a breakup. According to the Singles in America survey 2025, cited by Forbes, people spend an average of $300 per month on their partners. Similarly, a LendingTree survey suggested that men spend about $861.29 a year on dating, nearly double than women.
Meanwhile, disregarding Agarwal's claim, Judge Kin also cited the English playwright William Congreve, who wrote in his tragedy satire The Mourning Bride: "Heav'n has no rage, like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned." Referring to the CEO, he explained, "This case shows that such emotion is not the sole province of one gender."
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