My Mother-in-Law Stole My Engagement Ring – Days Later, She Begged Me to Accept It Back

Let me take you through something that happened to me recently that has made my engagement more like some crazy plot rather than real life. I'm a 26-year-old woman. My boyfriend recently proposed, and while preparing for the wedding, I've quickly come to realize that my soon-to-be mother-in-law (let's call her Judith) is a character you'd love to hate in any drama.

Our house is currently under renovation, a period during which Judith went from an occasional visitor to a constant presence under the pretext of "helping." It's been even worse since my husband gave her a key so she could come and go as she pleased. However, her help mainly consisted of snooping around and inserting herself into places and situations she definitely shouldn't be. In one of her many unwarranted visits, she crossed a line that set off a series of events I still can't believe I orchestrated.

I practice martial arts, a hobby I took up to give me some much-needed confidence after a bad mugging a year ago. It's a regular habit of mine to remove my engagement ring before heading to class to keep it safe. I always place it in a little dish where I'm sure it'll be when I get back. One day, I returned home, muscles sore but spirits high, only to find that my engagement ring had vanished from its usual spot. Panicked, I asked Judith if she had seen it. With a smugness that made my skin crawl, she admitted she'd taken it to a jeweler to get it "cleaned."

When I pressed her about the jeweler's details, Judith suddenly couldn't remember what the name was. I couldn't believe she conveniently forgot where my precious ring was. Her vague answer to where something so close to my heart was made me see red and made me feel helpless, but I chose to keep my cool. I was slowly starting to plot a bit of revenge that would be as not only effective in getting my ring back, but also put Judith in her place.

After a few days of her acting forgetful, I came across a Facebook post made by Judith's boyfriend. Lo and behold, she was wearing my ring! So, I decided to start implementing the ploy that had been slowly brewing in my brain. I highly suspected that Judith had taken my ring — whether it was out of a dislike for me or just envy at the beautiful gem my husband had requested be put into it — and I was going to get her to give it back.

The very next day, as she came to "clean," I told Judith about a curse my superstitious Brazilian grandmother had placed on the ring, a curse that brought calamity to anyone who handled it without my permission.

"Wow, I really feel for the person who found it … hope nothing happens to him or her. That ring was cursed. My grandmother has a knack for curses. I've never really believed in it, but there have been times when I've lost it, only for some stranger to return it to me."

To add color to my story, I spun a yarn about a burglar who met his demise when a pile of cement fell on him shortly after stealing another ring cursed by my Gran.

Of course, the entire thing was made up, but as far as she knew, there really was a man who met his demise under a pile of cement. And it was effective. Fear flickered in her eyes, a flicker I found extremely satisfying.

Not 24 hours had passed before my ring magically reappeared, no cleaner than before, proving there was without a doubt something afoot. But my plan turned out to have much more unintended consequences than I had anticipated. Judith, now fully convinced she was cursed after she was involved in a minor car accident, called me in hysterics, blaming me and my witch-doctor grandmother for her misfortune.

The drama escalated to the point where my fiancé, whom I'll call Alex, had to intervene. While he understood my frustration, he couldn't help but scold me for my creative, albeit extreme, method of dealing with his mother. Judith's antics and my retaliation had driven a wedge, not just between her and me, but also between Alex and myself.

The situation forced Alex and me to how we were going about things, especially where his mother was involved. It became clear that boundaries were necessary, not just for our sanity but for the health of our relationship. After a heartfelt conversation, Alex decided to take a stand, retrieving the key from Judith. He decided not to let her in on the fact that I had concocted the entire story about the curse. Instead, he told her that the curse would have no effect if whoever took the ring had no ill intent toward me.

Judith found that a hard pill to swallow. She stuck with the story that she just wanted to get it cleaned, but I believe she still thought the curse had caused her accident. She still refused to speak to me, but the silence was a welcome reprieve from the constant intrusion and drama. Alex was crestfallen that his mom and I were still at odds, but he had hope that things would get better in the future.

In the end, the entire ordeal served as a bizarre bonding experience for me and my soon-to-be husband. It highlighted the importance of unity, communication, and setting boundaries with family members, no matter how difficult they may be. As for the curse, it remains a funny, if not slightly embarrassing, story that we share with close friends. And it gave me as much confidence and security as my martial arts lessons.

The ring, now safely back on my finger, serves not just as a symbol of my engagement but as a testament to the lengths I'll go to defend my peace, privacy, and security. And Judith? Well, let's just say she's been significantly less keen on dropping by unannounced. As for my actual Brazilian grandmother, she remains blissfully unaware of the pivotal role she played in my elaborate ruse. Life, as they say, is stranger than fiction, and I've got the engagement story to prove it.

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If you like this story, you'll also enjoy this one about Veronika who found her soon-to-be mother-in-law wearing the engagement ring Nathan had given her. It took a great deal to sort the situation out, but hopefully, Veronika managed to keep a cool head.