Ling Wang and Alex Chen were "a perfect couple."
They met as 12-year-old classmates in China, became lovers in university and married in May 1996 after graduation.
Chen -- who moved to Canada in June 2002, a year after his wife -- was stunned when Wang wanted to continue her affair with another man, Faical Labidi, even after her husband moved to Toronto.
Labidi, 39, is on trial for first-degree murder in the Nov. 7, 2002, stabbing death of Wang, 32, whose bloody body was found in the front seat of her car.
"The change (in the marriage) was sudden and drastic," Chen testified yesterday through an interpreter. "In the eyes of friends and family, both families, we were a perfect couple."
Labidi has admitted to killing Wang, but prosecutors have rejected his guilty plea to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Shortly after her husband's arrival in Toronto, Wang began an awkward living arrangement with Chen and Labidi. All three moved into a two-bedroom apartment at 195 Rexleigh Dr. with Wang and Labidi sharing one room and Chen taking the other.
Chen said he agreed to the arrangement because he didn't want anyone to know about his broken marriage.
As an immigrant sponsored by his wife, he also faced difficulties.
"So I made the choice to just treat her like a normal friend," Chen said.
A fall visit to the Niagara casino by Wang, Chen, Labidi and two of his friends ended in an angry drive home. Chen said Labidi accused Wang of being impolite because she walked out of the casino early.
Wang didn't want Labidi to gamble, but he went on to lose his money, including $100 borrowed from Chen. "He raised his voice, slapped the dashboard. When the car was still driving, he attempted to open the door to get out," Chen said, recalling the argument.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2005/12/14/1352151-sun.html
They met as 12-year-old classmates in China, became lovers in university and married in May 1996 after graduation.
Chen -- who moved to Canada in June 2002, a year after his wife -- was stunned when Wang wanted to continue her affair with another man, Faical Labidi, even after her husband moved to Toronto.
Labidi, 39, is on trial for first-degree murder in the Nov. 7, 2002, stabbing death of Wang, 32, whose bloody body was found in the front seat of her car.
"The change (in the marriage) was sudden and drastic," Chen testified yesterday through an interpreter. "In the eyes of friends and family, both families, we were a perfect couple."
Labidi has admitted to killing Wang, but prosecutors have rejected his guilty plea to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Shortly after her husband's arrival in Toronto, Wang began an awkward living arrangement with Chen and Labidi. All three moved into a two-bedroom apartment at 195 Rexleigh Dr. with Wang and Labidi sharing one room and Chen taking the other.
Chen said he agreed to the arrangement because he didn't want anyone to know about his broken marriage.
As an immigrant sponsored by his wife, he also faced difficulties.
"So I made the choice to just treat her like a normal friend," Chen said.
A fall visit to the Niagara casino by Wang, Chen, Labidi and two of his friends ended in an angry drive home. Chen said Labidi accused Wang of being impolite because she walked out of the casino early.
Wang didn't want Labidi to gamble, but he went on to lose his money, including $100 borrowed from Chen. "He raised his voice, slapped the dashboard. When the car was still driving, he attempted to open the door to get out," Chen said, recalling the argument.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2005/12/14/1352151-sun.html
