Make An Exception
Laura's happiness would immediately leach out of her body as her eyes registered the ring Tom was putting on her. It was a thin golden band with the tiniest diamond attached to it.
She looked away, hating that it rubbed her the wrong way. She'd always received flashy and expensive gifts from everyone around her, but never Tom. Why couldn't he make an exception this time?
An Eight-Year Relationship
When Laura agreed to go out with Tom eight years ago, she'd seen someone she wanted to build a life with. He was driven and resourceful, with big dreams for himself and them as a couple.
Although he'd never mentioned wanting to marry her, she knew that was the end goal. It'd been hers. But when the day finally came, she had to hide the disappointment she felt.
Laura And Tom
Laura and Tom were high school sweethearts. He played in the school band, and she was a cheerleader. Although many of her friends and family expected her to go for players in the football and basketball teams, Laura couldn't help but choose Tom.
He was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. He was funny and sweet, with excellent grades, musical talent, and a swimmer's body. So why would he do such a terrible thing eight years later?
Going Back In Time
Laura came from a well-off family with both parents, a great house, and wonderful siblings. A last born, everyone treated her like an egg, pampering her at every turn.
Tom, on the other hand, had things a little different. He was the firstborn in a struggling family that lived on one of the poorest sides of town. He only had his mom and little sister, and he cared for both.
Priorities
For Tom, life had been divided between school and taking care of his family. His mom was in and out of the hospital because of cancer treatment. After a while, Tom and his little sister learned to fend for themselves.
But despite these hardships, Tom always kept his educational career polished. Unlike many kids around his school, he knew what he wanted to do with his life. That's what drew Laura to him in the first place.
Time Flies
Laura and Tom dated through high school and college. As the years went by, their love grew strong. Laura opened a bar and grill back home, and Tom was in medical school in a different town, looking to be a surgeon. Despite the different worlds they lived in, the two made everything work.
Sadly, Tom's mom passed away some years back, but his sister was almost done with college and living a happy life. Laura's family had also stopped pampering her. Everything she had, she'd worked for. Then the event that would threaten to tear them apart would come.
Coming Home
Laura was making dinner one night when Tom called to inform her he'd driven back to town and was at the bar waiting for her. The news caught her off guard since she'd already closed for the night.
But regardless, she gladly threw on a felt coat and drove to the bar. Laura was dumbfounded when she got there. There wasn't anyone around but a scene that melted everything within her.
A Welcome Surprise
Rows of candles littered the counter before her. Then out of nowhere, her favorite song started playing on the jukebox. She turned around to find Tom on his knees, a bright smile plastered across his face.
Tom would propose that night, and of course, Laura would say yes. But as he put on the engagement ring, something unexpected would fire within her.
A Disappointment
Laura's happiness immediately leached out of her body as her eyes registered the ring Tom was putting on her. It was a thin golden band with the tiniest diamond attached to it.
She looked away, hating that it rubbed her the wrong way. She'd always received flashy and expensive gifts from everyone around her, but never Tom. She'd expected him to make an exception this time.
More Than A Promise
For many people worldwide, an engagement ring is more than a promise of marriage. It’s a sign that the other person cares enough to get you a rock that will show the world you're their everything.
As Laura stared at the ring, she wondered if she'd wasted the last eight years of her life with a man who seemingly didn't care about her outlook. She looked at him as he smiled with tears in his eyes and, for the first time, considered breaking things off with him.
Hiding It Deep Within
Tom got up and hugged Laura before kissing her. She did her best not to recoil and hid her true feelings about the ring. After everything they'd built together, didn't she deserve a better rock?
Distraught over the matter, she went online with her story. She needed to know if she was overreacting or justified in her stand. Tucked under a warm blanket, she logged onto her social media.
Viral Post
“Fiance proposed and presented me with the ring he'd chosen - a diamond solitaire in white gold. I was so happy and excited to accept but was disappointed when I first saw the ring,” Laura wrote on Reddit.
She had only written the post to try and gain some other perspectives. But she honestly never expected the responses she got.
Complaining
“The first word that entered my head was 'small,' Laura’s post continued. She was only speaking her mind. “There's nothing to dislike about the type of ring per se…”
“A diamond solitaire would have been my choice, but it's the whole thing - the colour of the gold, the setting, the small stone and relatively chunky shoulders,” she complained. But it was what she wrote next that broke the internet.
A Divisive Post
“He's usually very generous. Having seen the receipt I know he paid $5,000 for it,” Laura continued, not realizing how she was coming off.
“It is a lot less than I would have imagined he would have spent on such a significant piece of jewellery. He'll be more disappointed in me for making a fuss over it.” Now that she’d clarified how much the ring cost, netizens would let her have it.
Backlash
"Do I live with a ring forever I’m not that mad about or do I talk to him about it again?" she asked her fellow Redditors. The replies started coming in thick and fast. And her post was not well-received.
"I would try and appreciate the fact he bought you a beautiful engagement ring and you love each other," one commenter wrote. "It obviously concerns you a great deal -- if you weren’t shallow it wouldn’t." Other users wouldn’t be so kind though.
Not Mincing Words
“You are spoiled and ungrateful and you have come to the internet in the hope that you will find support in validating your ungrateful selfish attitude," one Reddit user spat.
"Do you not realize how much your attitude would upset your fiancé he SPENT A STUPID AMOUNT of money on a ring and you are moaning as it’s not big enough and you don’t like it."
Ungrateful
"You sound extremely ungrateful. It's a myth about how much should be spent on a ring and that money could have been spent on a mortgage, deposit etc etc. So be grateful,” another user chided.
“Don't act like such a stuck up spoilt so and so and either split up or love the ring as much as the person it came from but don't moan about it. Personally I think it's a waste of $5k." But there were also some people who agreed with Laura.
Agreeing With Her
"I don't blame you, you can't help feeling disappointed if it's not exactly what you expected/fantasized about," one person agreed.
"Also, you will hopefully be wearing it forever so it needs to be right," the Reddit user continued. "Can you take it back and get something else or has the return period expired? if you can't, then I would suggest that you have it reset as the setting will make a huge difference."
Chiming In
"I know all the people giving you a hard time about the size of the diamond and that, like it doesn't bother me and I get where they are coming from,” Another person chimed in.
“But I also get it from your point of view because I know how I would feel having to live with something I wasn't keen on."
Advice
While most people were calling Laura entitled and a few were agreeing with her perspective, others tried to give her some helpful advice.
"I’m a bit confused. It doesn’t sound like you had anything to do with the ring buying/making process. If I were you, I’d take it to a jeweler (preferably the one that made it) and see if there’s anything they can do.”
Overwhelmed
“Your fiancé is bound to feel a bit hurt, but he’ll get over it eventually," the helpful Redditor advised. Laura was overwhelmed by all the responses - both good and bad.
Now, she felt like she needed to explain herself to the haters. What they were saying about her stung. Surely she wasn’t acting selfish and entitled? Or was she?
Explaining Herself
"I’m not a shallow or fickle person I promise. I’m working class and love my fiancé with all my heart,” she added to the bottom of her Reddit post.
“But I’m struggling to get past this and being soul destroyingly honest in the hope someone can give me some good advice." But she wasn’t done.
Her Point Of View
"I fully agree it represents love and the fact he’s asked me to be his wife -- and I absolutely can’t wait to marry him," Laura continued.
"This really is just down to personal taste. If I spent $5k on a watch that I wanted him to wear every day and deep down he wasn’t keen I would feel awful.”
Who Is Right?
“I would want him to wear something he loves and I would feel better knowing I’ve spent the money on something he can cherish and adore, not look at and secretly wish it was something else," she concluded.
When Laura puts it like that, her feelings make perfect sense. However, there’s no denying that she was in an extremely awkward position. So, is she right?
Controversy
Laura had no idea how controversial her Reddit post would be. The most common responses she received from netizens were in the region of “marriage isn't about the ring.”
"When the ring is more important than the guy. I feel super bad for him," another user wrote. "I couldn't imagine telling my partner I hated a ring they chose for me. I'd appreciate the effort and wear it proudly." But Laura still just didn’t see it that way.
Expectations
"I'm well aware that marriage is more than a ring, a proposal or a wedding," Laura explained after giving the situation more thought.
"But I think it's something that women think about for years and years and when it doesn't go the same way you envision it in your head, naturally, you're disappointed, just like anything else in life." And she still didn’t know what to do.
Sharing Her Story
Laura shared her story, and the response she received helped give her more perspective. One side of the reaction assured her she was correct to be mad at Tom.
But the other told her she was focusing on the wrong thing. But as Laura turned in for the night, she realized one thing she'd always missed before.
The Truth Behind It All
It was well past midnight when Laura realized something. She and Tom had built so much in the eight years they’d been together. He'd been the one encouraging and supporting her to pursue everything that she had now.
She remembered when she broke the news to her family that she was opening her bar. No one thought she could do it except Tom. But there was something even more significant than this.
Looking Into It
Laura looked at everything that surrounded her. Their home was warm and beautiful, and she was healthy and comfortable. None of this would be possible without her fiance.
Maybe he had the worst taste in rings, but all the decisions that changed their lives for the better were all his suggestions. Tom had gone above and beyond to make sure she led the life she'd always dreamed of. So, would she leave him because of a ring?
Simple And Complex
As she always did when something was bothering her, Laura shook Tom awake and opened up about the ring. Tom's answer to the matter was simple. He saw their life together as brighter than any diamond money could buy.
But he apologized for the ring's size, saying he'd asked the jeweler for something antique and regal. He promised to return it for a bigger one, but Laura told him she loved the one she had. It showed her how the simplest things could be the best.