When Lily texted me saying she was grabbing coffee with her best friend Rosie—while Rosie stood beside me picking out engagement rings—I felt my world shift. After four great years together, I thought I knew her. We’d been living together, planning our future, and I was ready to propose. So, when Lily lied about her whereabouts, I started noticing red flags. Missed calls, hushed phone conversations, strange credit card charges for pet supplies—especially reptile gear—made me fear the worst.

Lily hated snakes. I’d always wanted one, but she’d firmly refused. So when I saw charges from PetCo and reptile shops, I couldn’t understand. Her nervous smiles and secretive behavior only made my anxiety worse. I prepared myself for heartbreak, certain she was hiding something big—maybe even another relationship. The doubt began eating me alive, especially when I overheard her whisper, “He doesn’t know anything yet.”

When I confronted her, Lily led me to the spare room and opened the door to reveal a custom terrarium with a beautiful Kenyan sand boa inside. She looked terrified. “Surprise,” she whispered. “Her name is Bowie.” Every lie, every strange moment—was all for this gift.

So I dropped to one knee and proposed. She said yes.