A former Singapore Airlines air stewardess and model has traded cabin crew life for the fish market after being left to deal with a struggling seafood business and massive debts.
35-year-old Chen Shi Qi revealed that she invested S$170,000 — money originally meant for buying a home — into a seafood wholesale business with her then-boyfriend, who claimed he was experienced in business.
However, things quickly went downhill.
According to Shin Min Daily News, While Chen was pregnant, she said her ex-boyfriend spent more time gambling than running the company, even abandoning her at Jurong Fishery Port while he went off to place bets. After their daughter was born, she also discovered he had been unfaithful.
With the business registered under her name and suppliers chasing for payments, Chen was left to clean up the mess alone.
Rather than walk away and lose her entire investment, she decided to fight on.
Starting from zero, Chen worked at a wet market fish stall to learn everything from cutting fish to packing seafood orders. At one point, she survived on less than a few hours of sleep, working overnight at Jurong Fishery Port before heading straight to the wet market.
Things became so difficult that by December 2025, she reportedly had just S$300 left in her bank account while supplier payments were due.
Determined not to give up, Chen used her experience as a livestreamer to promote her seafood business online and attract customers through social media.
Her hard work eventually paid off, and the business has now managed to break even.
Today, Chen is believed to be the only young female fishmonger operating at Jurong Fishery Port.
Despite the long hours, she says her daughter remains her biggest motivation. Even after finishing work at 4am or 5am, she still tries to wake up by 9am to care for her child and prepare meals.
When asked if fishmongering was difficult, Chen had a simple answer:
“Being with my ex-boyfriend was harder.”
What do you think — would you have walked away from the business, or fought to recover the S$170,000?
Photos via Shin Min Daily News.