Twice, he failed to do so.

Throughout the 11-year affair, Leong lavished gifts on Mr Ng - who is 21 years older - in the form of expensive clothing, watches, jewellery and even Chinese tea. She also picked up the tab when they went on holidays together.

The problem was, it wasn't her money she was using.

Last week, Leong, 30, was jailed 51/2 years for having siphoned more than $800,000 from her employer, Fuji Horiguchi Engineering, between 2003 and 2007. She had been working as an administrative officer there.

When The Sunday Times visited Mr Ng's home in Pasir Ris, his wife was shocked to find out that her husband's name had been mentioned in court.

She said she was under the impression that Mr Ng, 51, had left Leong in 2006.

In fact, that was the second time he said he was no longer seeing her. The first was in 1998.

The wife, who is petite and looked to be in her 50s, wanted to be known only as Mrs Ng.

She said in a mix of English and Mandarin: 'He's such an average man, how did he manage to charm her to the extent that she would go so far to impress him?'

She would only describe her husband as 'normal-looking' but a neighbour said Mr Ng looked younger than his 51 years, had a full head of black hair, was about 1.75m tall, 'quite handsome' and often casually dressed in bermudas or pants.

While clearly upset at the news, Mrs Ng said that her marriage has almost completely broken down in any case.

The couple, who have three children, are estranged and barely keep tabs on each other's lives although they share the five-room flat.

'I really don't know who he is anymore. I don't ask him where he goes unless he wants to tell me,' she said.

Read the full story in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times.