When Axel took his girlfriend, Kayla*, of six years on a last-minute holiday to Hawaii, he thought it was a ‘great opportunity’ to propose.
Despite being just 21, the two of them had spoken at length about marriage and agreed they wanted to tie the knot. Axel asked Kayla’s parents for their blessing, and the pair jetted off.
But, what was meant to be one of the happiest moments of his life didn’t quite go according to plan.
‘The issue is that she wanted a grand wedding proposal similar to the ones you might see on Tiktok and Instagram; Big “MARRY ME” letters on the beach, rose petals on the ground, lights and mariachi,’ Axel said.
‘I was absolutely on board with doing that for her, but that was something to be planned back at home, since I wouldn’t have the resources to plan it for a trip to somewhere we’ve never been.’
Other requirements included hinting to her that she needed to get ‘glammed up’ and that her dog was there to see it.
‘It wasn’t going to be a grand proposal like she had hoped, but I thought because of the circumstances she would be happy,’ he added.
After a day spent parasailing, the pair returned to the hotel, and went out for dinner and drinks. Alex realised he’d missed the sunset – Kayla wanted a sunset proposal – but despite this, he convinced his soon-to-be fiancé to go on a night walk along the beach, where he would pop the question.
‘We got to the beach, the city was very much still awake and the lights of the buildings and streets combined with the bright moon illuminated the ocean beautifully,’ he explained.
‘We stood there hugging and kissing, both knowing it was a beautiful and intimate moment. I started telling her how much I love her and how I want to be with her my entire life.’
But this is where it all went south. ‘As I started to get on my knee and reaching my pocket for the ring, she stopped me,’ he said.
His girlfriend then uttered the words: ‘I hope you’re not about to propose to me right now, this isn’t what I expected.’
Do you think Axel made the right decision by ending his relationship with Kayla?
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Yes, his girlfriend was treating him terribly
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No, he didn’t listen to what she wanted
Deflated he returned to the hotel and, the next day, Kayla insisted he ask her again ‘the right way’ during sunset. ‘I tell her I can’t do that because she rejected me already,’ Axel said. ‘She tells me she didn’t reject it, [but] it wasn’t how she wanted it to happen.’
The last four days of the holiday were tense and, when they returned home, Kayla went to sleep at her parents house.
Speaking on Reddit, the 21-year-old said: ‘She’s adamant I failed to meet her expectations. She also tells me a proposal is solely about the female and what she wants. I think that’s bulls**t.
‘Something that really bugs me is she says that I made the trip seem like “just another trip, nothing crazy or out of the ordinary”. This is literally our first ever vacation flight together. The same night that happened, we had brunch, went parasailing, and had a wonderful teppanyaki dinner.
‘I still did something that objectively should make any woman ecstatic.’
This was the final straw for Axel, and he decided to call time on their relationship.
He said: ‘My girlfriend has always been a bit self-centred. She apologised to me, telling me she really regrets [rejecting the proposal] and assuring me she would’ve said yes anyway.
‘I’m standing my ground, telling her I’ve swallowed my pride way too many times in the past. I’ll be sleeping on the couch, she’ll be packing her things tomorrow and going to live with her parents.’
Redditors largely sided with Axel, praising him for ending the relationship and telling him he ‘dodged a bullet’.
‘If the proposal wasn’t up to par, nothing in life will be,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘This one will dump you when her life with you isn’t up to her perceived expectations.’
@bluegreentopaz6110 wrote: ‘Please. You’re 21. Just get out now. She is not mature enough to get married, and pre-planned over-the-top romanticism, coupled with snotty attitude when denied it, doesn’t bode well for your future. Good luck, the right one is out there.’
However, some did point out that Kayla had been quite clear about her wishes.
‘She told you directly exactly what she wanted, and you chose to ignore it anyways,’ wrote @Historical_Low4458. ‘You could have simply waited to propose to her the way she wanted… You just got impatient.’
Another added: ‘He didn’t do any of the things he knew she wanted.’
While a third felt the original poster was overreacting. ‘He’s like, “yeah, she told me exactly what she wanted for this once in a lifetime event, and I completely disregarded it and did the opposite. She stopped me so I could have another chance to do it right, but my ego is bruised, so I’ll just blow up our six-year relationship.”‘
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