When you plan to propose to someone, it's usually because your relationship has been going smoothly for some time, and you want to progress things to the next stage.
And while that's exactly what one man planned to do when he decided to pop the question to his girlfriend, she seemingly had other ideas - as she broke up with him just moments before he was supposed to propose.
The 28-year-old man explained he and his girlfriend, 27, had been together for three years and had already discussed marriage and kids, but had planned to wait until they were both financially stable enough for a wedding.
In a lengthy post on Reddit, where he used fake names to protect identities, he wrote: "I told her [Elise] that I won't be marrying her before I get a job that pays well enough to build our family, and she agreed. Well, I got a very good job two months ago and we started planning our lives together. Our plan was to get married in the next year or two, buy a house, and then have kids when we have more financial stability.
"She also started dropping hints that I should propose. I was already planning to propose, so I started researching rings, proposal venues, etc."
The man then got in touch with two of Elise's friends, Leah and David, to help plan the proposal, which would see him ask his girlfriend to marry him in a secluded cabin surrounded by "nature and wilderness".
Without telling Elise the plan, Leah invited her to brunch at a fancy restaurant that would require her to wear a nice dress on the day of the proposal, so that she would be dressed up for the surprise.
However, when the day came to propose, the man was left waiting over an hour for his girlfriend and her friends to show up at the cabin - but they never did.
He added: "It had already been more than an hour since they left the apartment and I was getting worried so I asked one of my friends to call David and sneakily ask how long it'll take them. They called him 2-3 times, but no answer. Then they called Leah 2-3 times. No answer.
"I called David and Leah as well. Still no answer. Finally, I decided to call Elise. On the first call, she didn't answer. My heart was racing at this point. As soon as I called her again, Leah answered instead. I was panicking and asked her if everything was alright and why is nobody answering the phone."
To the man's surprise, Leah began "yelling" at him over the phone and told him Elise never wanted to speak to him again, as she declared their relationship was over.
The man was left heartbroken and confused, as he had no idea what he was supposed to have done to make Elise suddenly change her mind about their relationship.
He wrote: "She told me to never call Elise ever again and that I was dead to her. That I was a horrible human being for doing that to her. That she doesn't want to see my face or talk to me ever again. I was confused, but before I could say anything she hung up. I was so confused and started crying and my friends had to console me."
To end his post, the man said Leah and David came to his flat that evening to collect some of Elise's belongings but refused to talk to him and he still has no idea what caused Elise to dump him.
He claimed her parents are equally as confused, and said they are planning on talking to her when they get a chance to try and figure out what happened.
And commenters on the post were just as puzzled, with many simply taking the time to share their condolences with the man.
One person said: "Wow this is horrible. I'm sorry for you. I really wonder what those best friends of your ex were up to, if they told her something and what this was all about. I hope you got some clarity after all and are able to move on. This must be devastating and I hope you aren't alone."
While another added: "Tragic. Either she loved you so little she believed a lie and threw you away without even talking to you or she told the lie so she could play the victim as she threw you away. I get you want answers and I hope you get them but no matter what happens do not take her back, all trust is gone."
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