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A Baker Woke Up from a Nine-Month Coma and Revealed a Terrible Secret

What may look like the perfect relationship could be an abusive hellhole. A man hailed as the perfect boyfriend might nearly beat you to death for as minor a grievance as over-browning some bread.

Things aren't always what they seem, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. What may look like a paradise from the outside, for instance, could be an abusive hellhole. A man hailed as the perfect boyfriend might nearly beat you to death for as minor a grievance as over-browning some bread.

A real Romeo in northern China stayed at the hospital bedside of his beloved after she fell into a nine-month coma in September 2014, spending around $30,000 on her medical bills and pledging to remain true to her for the rest of his life. Things took a sour turn, however, when she woke up and accused him of putting her in the coma by beating her with a rolling pin after she burned some bread that she had been baking just before the time of the incident, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Liu Fenghe, a 24-year-old from Dalian, Liaoning province at the time of the "accident," became something of a minor celebrity role model for his devotion. He had run a cake shop with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Lin Yingying, and appeared to be playing the role of Prince Charming. He posed for newspaper photos at her side, tenderly adjusting her hospital blankets.

"I want to take care of her for the rest of her life," Liu told Chinese news outlets. "Even if I have to push her around in a wheelchair, I would be happy."

That now appears to be a bit disingenuous, as he had actually beat her on the back of the head with a rolling pin after she burned 20 loaves of bread by accident, leaving her with a severe head injury that doctors thought was caused by a fall from at least five stories.

READ MORE: How to Survive Running a Restaurant When Your Life Partner Is Your Business Partner

In hindsight, there were some red flags. Liu was hesitant to answer when doctors repeatedly asked how Lin had managed to hit her head. When he took her home to care for her in January 2015, he didn't let her family come visit her there. Lin's family managed to take her home in February, and three months later she woke up and subsequently told them what happened.

Liu was furious about the bread, Lin said, and picked up a heavy rolling pin and hit her on the back of the head. She says she remembers falling to the floor and hearing Liu call an ambulance.

It turns out it wasn't the first time Liu had beat her. A year prior to the beating that put her in a coma, Lin was playing a game on her mobile phone and Liu grabbed the phone, smashed it, and threatened to hit her. Another time, she was so badly bruised from a beating she stayed in a hotel to hide her bruises. She says she didn't initially talk about what happened because Liu had threatened her about revealing the truth.

Police are now investigating, but it's unclear what has happened to Liu at this stage. Unsurprisingly, he probably isn't all that eager to talk to and pose for the media anymore. But with the truth out, one can only hope that Lin will find a better partner—in life and in baking.