We recently received a heartfelt letter from a man who believed he had planned the perfect, romcom-style proposal for his girlfriend, Rachel. After months of saving for the ring and carefully organizing the big moment, he thought everything would go smoothly. But instead, his dream proposal took a surprising turn. A mix of disagreements about the ring and some unexpected relationship issues led to a reaction he never saw coming. Now, he’s reaching out to our readers for advice on what to do next.
A dream proposal turned nightmare: one man’s heartbreak story
“I know that there are many women among Bright Side’s audience, so I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts and maybe getting some advice on my situation. I’m 28, and not that long ago, I proposed to my girlfriend of three years, Rachel.
For six months, I put everything I had into planning the perfect proposal because I knew how much it meant to her. Rachel’s a huge romantic — she’s all about romcoms, and I wanted to give her a moment that would feel just as magical as the movies she loves. I spent hours thinking through the details, trying to make it all as special as I could.”
He spent months planning a romcom-style proposal, but it all went wrong
“I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect engagement ring, too. I know it’s important to her, and I wanted to get something beautiful and meaningful. In the end, I decided to propose with a family heirloom ring. It’s not worth much, but means a lot to me and my family. This ring was the only thing my immigrant ancestors could bring with them when they crossed the Atlantic. It’s a symbol of their hope for a better future, passed down through generations as a reminder of our roots.”
“For the proposal itself, I recreated the meal she cooked for me on our third date — it was such a special memory for both of us. And because she’s a huge fan of the 80s movie Overboard, I rented a yacht to make it feel like something straight out of the movie. I was sure it would be a proposal she’d never forget, the kind of story we’d be telling for years.”
When love and money clash: a proposal story gone off course
“My girlfriend knew the story behind the ring but had never actually seen it. When I opened the box, her expression changed instantly—from admiration to disgust. She got really mad when she saw the ring and said, “You must think so little of me to give me this garbage.”
Not wanting to lose her, I offered to get a ring she liked, but her choices started at $40,000. When I told her I couldn’t afford that, she snapped, “Then get a second job. And I know your family has that old jewelry—you could sell it and buy something decent.
It hurt me deeply. Knowing our family history she offered to sell it so easily.
I refused to spend that much money on a ring. The next day, I got a message saying my bank account was blocked because of a suspicious transaction. At first, I thought it was just a system error. But when I checked my account, I saw an attempt to withdraw $60,000. This was my savings account for a future house—an account I never even used.”
Bank fraud or betrayal? A surprising twist in this proposal drama
“I was worried it might be fraud, so I immediately contacted the bank for clarification. They kindly provided me with a statement, which showed that someone had tried to make a $60,000 purchase at a jewelry store. By pure coincidence, it was the same store where Rachel had fallen in love with the ring.
That’s when suspicions started creeping in, though I tried to push them away. I just couldn’t believe my Rachel would do something like that.
When she got home, she casually laughed and admitted she had taken my card, acting like it was no big deal.”
What would you do? A reader’s call for help after a proposal disaster
u were in love
i would not have spent $70k for a ring
if i were u, i’d find out why she chose u over Jeremy if money were something she seemed to cherish more than the love u offered her…
obviously there was something that u offered her that Jeremy did not even with all of the money Jeremy could have offered her
She sounded very immature to me as if she were living in a fantasy world and sounded very spoiled
i’ve given my thoughts in the section several inches up this page on what u should do with her or your future selection of mate.
Good luck
“When I told her she literally stole my card and I could’ve reported her to the police, she called me selfish. Her reasoning?
“You couldn’t decide to buy real rings, so I decided to do it for you. And for your information, I was going to buy you a ring too! I couldn’t show my friends the garbage you gave me!”
I just couldn’t keep putting up with this behavior, so I decided to take a break from our relationship. I don’t want to lose Rachel, but her obsession with money is wearing me down. How can I find a middle ground here? Got any advice?”
