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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I being ridiculous? Actually really upset

323 replies

Ring222 · 16/11/2021 14:56

Will keep it short.

Married DH a couple of years ago and pretty quickly got pregnant and had DC.

I had my suspicions at the time that the ring DG proposed with was the one he gave his ex (and mother of my SC) which he was given back when they split up years before, they never actually went on to marry, but couldn't quite put my finger on why I thought it.

I knew he had the ring still when we first met as he found it when we were getting rid of a lot of stuff when moving in together. This was about 7 years ago now! The ring sort of disappeared and he said he'd just gotten rid of it.

At the time when he proposed I did wonder, but as I never saw that ring again couldn't really remember exactly what it looked like so couldnt say 100%. On the once or twice it had come up he'd just skirted over what he'd done with it and the box the ring he proposed with was in looked a bit worn. I asked him outright a few months later and he said absolutely not, he got mine from X shop in a town near us and went specifically with a friend to choose it etc etc.

Anyway, long story short it's come to light now that it is the same ring.

I'm actually really pissed off. Not because I'm arsed about having a fancy ring, I'd have been happy with anything. But I'm upset that he lied and tbh I am upset that it's the ring he gave another woman too. I'm embarrassed as well in a way, this is the mother of his kids, who hasn't been the kindest to me, god knows if she has spotted it but if so it makes me cringe. It's the kind of thing she'd take pleasure in knowing that I don't realise.

I'm actually really really annoyed. Is it petty? Am I right to be? Does it matter? I know the lying matters but I'm also pissed off that it's the same ring, would that part bother you as well?

OP posts:
Paddingtonthebear · 16/11/2021 16:27

The lying is v.bad anyway but for me it’s the “any ring will do”mentality that would really bother me. It doesn’t even matter if the ring is beautiful or hideous. You’ve just got the leftovers from his Ex. No effort required from him at all. Yuck. It would me me view someone very differently unfortunately.

Hmm sorry I don’t know what advice to give now. But yes, this would really bother me.

Twolostsoulsswimminginafishbow · 16/11/2021 16:27

There are just some lines you don’t cross and that’s one of them. My engagement ring is vintage (so secondhand) but it’s perfect for me, You DH could even have sold yours to a jeweller and bought yours with the proceeds but to actually give you his ex’s ring is just nasty.

Paddingtonthebear · 16/11/2021 16:28

Yes it just says “Here, have this, I don’t really care if it’s special or not” ☹️

Dozer · 16/11/2021 16:29

Appalling!

RaisedByPangolins · 16/11/2021 16:29

I didn't discover this until someone I worked with recognised the ring which is pretty eye catching and said 'oh are you engaged to Mr Shove, my friend used to have that ring'

Oh god what an awful way to find out!

GertietheGherkin · 16/11/2021 16:29

The ring wouldn't bother me.

The lies and the detail he put into them ( he and his friend chose the ring) would be a deal breaker.

As others have said, get it re-modelled or replaced to a design/ choice of your own.

Whosthebestbabainalltheworld · 16/11/2021 16:29

I’d be really hurt by this. Could you bring it to a jeweller and have it melted down and redesigned into a different ring?

casebasket · 16/11/2021 16:31

I'd be bloody furious!

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 16/11/2021 16:32

I would be so hurt by this!

Not because I care about how valuable something is, but an engagement ring is a hugely sentimental thing! It's the piece of jewellery chosen for you to show your commitment to each other.

I think I'd look at my DH differently after that. How can he lie to you like that?

FlowerArranger · 16/11/2021 16:32

@Ring222

He was apologetic about the lie.

But he doesn't think there is anything wrong in using the same ring, he said he couldn't afford one as nice as that at the time but he knew I'd be 'funny' about it as me and his ex always had a bee in our bonnets about each other at the time apparently. She barely wore it according to him and only had it for a few months before they split.

What if it had been a family heirloom ring? Would you feel different?
RaisedByPangolins · 16/11/2021 16:33

What other things do you think he'll feel comfortble lying about?. This is the problem with ‘white lies’ or as this one is, just LIES! Even if there is supposedly a good reason for the lie, it begs the question if you’ll lie about this because you don’t think I’ll like the truth, what else will you lie about? It rocks the trust which is the very foundation of a marriage.

CampagVelocet · 16/11/2021 16:34

@CreepySpider having something new for the sake of it is wasteful, I think.

QuinceTamarillo · 16/11/2021 16:34

...he knew I'd be 'funny' about it as me and his ex always had a bee in our bonnets about each other at the time apparently. She barely wore it according to him and only had it for a few months before they split.

This would really bother me. It's like he decided you (and presumably his ex/mother of his children too) were being silly and he'd just take care of that foolishness by smoothing things over with a lie, no harm done. Well, there is harm done: in that he didn't care about your feelings, in that he didn't value what was important to you even if it wasn't important to him, in that he assumed he had superior wisdom and knew better than everyone else about something which is of course subjective, and in that he lied. I had an ex like this and eventually it was a dealbreaker. You can talk to me all you want and try to bring me around to your point of view, but don't take away my choices by lying to me and then claim you "did nothing wrong". Grr.

Dozer · 16/11/2021 16:36

It may well be a ‘deal breaker’ for me, perhaps unless he’s in every way a fantastic partner otherwise!

BreathingDeep · 16/11/2021 16:37

Oh OP, I'm with you completely.

About the lying, the deflection and the total lack of remorse mainly (he clearly thinks it's old news, so get over it) but the fact is that there is something incredibly special about an engagement ring. It's chosen to suit one person, their style, their likes and dislikes, even metals are chosen for how they suit someone's skin tone. No matter how he excuses it, this ring was chosen for his ex and represents her, not you.

You absolutely deserve a new ring. And a bracelet. And a watch. And a lifetime of lie ins and hot tea.

BreathingDeep · 16/11/2021 16:38

Also, if he knew you'd be 'funny about it' and did it anyway.... what does that say about him? It's one thing to make a mistake, but another to make a mistake knowing the hurt and upset it would cause...

RaisedByPangolins · 16/11/2021 16:38

What if it had been a family heirloom ring?
Would you feel different?

TBH for me, the only family heirlooms I’m interested in are ones from my own family. I wouldn’t want to wear DP’s mum’s ring any more than his exes. Well maybe it would be a 3/10 rather than a 0/10.

I actually asked my DP not to buy me a ring if he proposed as I’d like to wear my mums engagement ring, which was also my nana’s. However then I realised that I didn’t need his validation to wear it, so had it resized (and valued - turned out it was about 10 x more valuable than I had imagined!) and wear it as a way of remembering my mum and of loving myself.

Still waiting on a proper proposal after 10 years but not holding my breath!

LondonWolf · 16/11/2021 16:40

I struggle to believe anyone could be quite so crass, but this I couldn’t forgive.

RuggerHug · 16/11/2021 16:40

If you've a SD I'd put it back in the box and give it to 'D'H to mind for her when she's older. Since he used it to propose to her mother and step mother she might want it when she's older but you don't want it anymore.

Roxy4321 · 16/11/2021 16:40

This is vile. I know someone who has done this and I just feel so sorry for his fiancé she thinks she has something special but the reality is he just gave her someone’s cast offs especially as I think he really loved his ex fiancé too.

RaisedByPangolins · 16/11/2021 16:41

[quote CampagVelocet]@CreepySpider having something new for the sake of it is wasteful, I think. [/quote]
So buy a secondhand/vintage ring and trade in the exes ring for someone else to enjoy. Don’t palm off a ring chosen for another woman and pretend you didn’t, when it’s so easy to get caught out on it.

Only one thing worse than a liar and that’s a bad liar.

category12 · 16/11/2021 16:41

What if it had been a family heirloom ring?
Would you feel different?

But it isn't.

So how she would feel about it if it was a beloved Grandma's ring is completely irrelevant, because it's not - it's just a ring he bought for someone else.

AlbasJudgementalCrucifix · 16/11/2021 16:42

Yeah. I don’t think I could move past this. It is a blatant deep disrespect.

Mirw · 16/11/2021 16:44

Sell it and get something different. At the end of the day, he gave you a ring...

grapewine · 16/11/2021 16:51

At the end of the day, he gave you a ring...

That he chose and bought for someone else, and then he lied about it for years. Like PP I'd wonder what else he thinks it's fine to lie about.