A woman was left doubting her relationship after her fiancé proposed to her with a $38 Temu ring.
The bride-to-be, 27, from the US, took to Reddit to detail the fallout from the awkward engagement, after posting anonymously on popular subreddit r/AmITheA*****e in September.
The woman explained that she has been in a relationship for three years with her 29-year-old partner, who earns $200,000 (£154,000) a year.
Even more surprising, after the bride-to-be called her partner, he suggested that she use her own money to buy a ring that met her expectations.
However, despite feeling disappointed with her fiancé’s choice of ring, she accepted his proposal, much to the fury of her fellow Redditors, who joined in to warn her to “run.”
A woman was left doubting her relationship after her fiancé proposed to her with a $38 ring from Temu (file image)
Temu, a Chinese e-commerce retailer, is known for its affordable gadgets, homewares, clothing and accessories, with ‘engagement’ rings made from ‘925’ sterling silver selling from as little as £8.
However, many buyers have reported that fine jewelry has “turned their fingers green” and have expressed concerns about wearing rings that could contain unregulated materials, such as lead, that could be harmful to health.
In it mailThe woman said: ‘I really liked the ring when I first saw it and all my friends and family think it’s stunning. It’s an oval cut with “diamonds” all over the band.’
When the bride-to-be asked where her partner had bought the ring, he avoided answering the question and instead explained that he “got a good deal on it.”
Later, while the couple was in bed, the woman curiously asked her fiancé if the stone in the ring was diamond or moissanite, to which her partner replied that she would have to ‘look it up’ on her phone.
However, to the woman’s horror, she looked at her screen and discovered that she had opened the Temu app.
After confronting her future husband, he allegedly became frustrated and resorted to sleeping on the couch.
Confused, the woman spent “all night” searching the Chinese e-commerce app to find her ring and came across an “identical” ring priced at $38.
A ‘Stunning Oval Moissanite Engagement Ring’, made of 925 sterling silver, listed on Temu for £27 ($35)
In the post, she added: ‘I’m angry. He makes a lot of money (200k a year) and I feel like he could have shelled out some money for a better ring than one in Temu. AITA for telling him I don’t want it?’
In a shocking update, the woman added: ‘He apologized for sleeping on the couch and that he needed time to think. He disagrees with me on my concerns about the ring and says he did his research and it was highly qualified.
‘He says if the ring breaks he will replace it (but he didn’t say it would be of higher quality)… now I really don’t want to wear it.
‘He left and went to his brother’s house. Normally I would go with him, but things are tense. AITA for telling him I don’t love him yet?’
The bride-to-be further probed her partner by asking if there was “something she needed to tell him, or if he was ‘testing’ her by deliberately purchasing a $38 ring, but this had only angered him further.
According to the woman, he was furious: ‘What kind of person do you think I am? Do you think I’m cheap? A liar? You obviously think very badly of me,” before attempting to flee his home “again.”
She added: “So I tried to reduce the tension and told him I see where he’s coming from, but I need to know if he still loves me.” He immediately apologized and still wants to get married.
‘He said I can choose my ring and buy it with my own money. He said he is tired of talking about this and that it is now “water behind us.”
‘He’s acting as usual since this conversation. I hear him out there jumping around and humming happily to himself and it’s actually pissing me off. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I don’t think I could handle a marriage with someone like that.
More than 6,000 Redditors flocked to the comments to share their thoughts on the bride-to-be’s dilemma, with most advising the woman to call off the engagement and “run.”
One person wrote: ‘This will be your future if you marry him. He is showing you exactly who He is. He’s cheap and now he expects you to buy your own ring… WITH YOUR OWN MONEY???! You’d be an idiot to stay with this person.’
Another said: ‘Girl, run! He is still enlightening you and showing you exactly what to expect in a marriage with him.
‘Go, buy yourself a nice, good quality ring, happily show him what ring you have and then, with the same smile on your face, leave it!’ Bonus points for throwing Temu’s trash… after him when he leaves.’
A third commented: ‘Ask him if he’s okay with everyone knowing exactly where he got this ring from. Watch her reaction when you tell your mom and family that you only spent $38 on YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING.
And then, with the same joy, he shares with them his brilliant plan to solve this problem. Who flat out told you to buy your own ENGAGEMENT ring.
A fourth added: “Run OP.” He’s cheating on you,’ while another exclaimed: ‘GIRL, DON’T MARRY HIM.’
It comes when another woman is disappointed after her fiancé proposed to her with a cheap engagement ring, even though he spends extravagantly on himself.
The anonymous woman took to British parenting forum Mumsnet to explain that the ring “looked cheap as costume jewellery” and couldn’t help but feel disappointed.