Liam knelt in the park, pulling out a velvet box. My heart raced as he proposed, asking me to marry him after six years together. He had meant to propose with my mom’s ring but couldn’t find it, so he gave me a simple gold band instead.
Tears streamed down my face, a mix of joy and grief. My mom had passed away the year before, and I’d forgotten to ask my stepdad, Carl, about the ring she promised me. But when I visited him to collect it, I found it was gone. Carl had given it to his daughter, Vanessa, who had just gotten engaged.
Upset, I confronted Carl, but he dismissed my feelings. To make matters worse, Vanessa flaunted the ring on social media. I turned to my grandma for support, and she arranged a brunch where she revealed the truth: the ring Vanessa wore was a fake, and the real one had been with her all along. Grandma handed me the heirloom, and I slid it on, feeling my mom’s presence.
Vanessa and Carl were stunned. Grandma had outsmarted them, and the ring was finally where it belonged.