A man once told me, “My wife found out.” He then asked what I was going to do about the responsibility and compensation, and I never received the two allowance payments he was supposed to transfer later. Could I also be held responsible in a situation like this?

Maezawa here too. Assuming it’s true that his wife found out, only the man’s wife has the right to claim compensation—not the man himself. So there’s no reason for him to say, “What are you going to do about taking responsibility and paying compensation?” He has no right to demand it from you. The man’s wife also has the right to claim compensation from her husband. She is free to pursue either her husband or his affair partner, but normally the claim is made against the affair partner. In this case, the important point is that you didn’t know the man was married. (If you did know, you might be required to pay compensation if his wife made a claim.) In a Tokyo District Court ruling dated July 10, 2013, the unfaithful husband had consistently lied that he was single and had said, “I can submit the marriage registration, but please wait until the relatives who oppose it are convinced.” In that case, the court found that it was understandable for the other party to believe he was single, and denied intent or negligence. (In other words, she did not have to pay compensation.) However, it’s also possible that the man was lying in an attempt to avoid payment. In situations like this, we would appreciate it if you could report it to the club as well. If we receive similar reports from other women, we would likely consider removing him from the club on the grounds that he is unsuitable. (It’s also possible that his wife really did find out, so the decision is extremely difficult…)

Why not report it to Universe right away? I’ve heard of similar incidents before. But why did you agree to be paid afterward in the first place? Stay calm and stand your ground. From the wife’s perspective, the man registered with the dating club is also partly at fault.