"My partner paid his friend to propose to me."

A 27-year-old woman had been with her 28-year-old partner for three years. They went on a trip to Italy and she thought he was going to propose. He didn’t. But after they came back from the holiday, she did get proposed to.

Just not by her boyfriend.

This woman took to Reddit under the name of cowardlyproposal to tell the story of her partner – who she called ‘John’ – about how he got his friend to propose to her on his behalf. The details make it worse.

The jilted girlfriend explains that her and John recently went on a trip to Italy. She says she’s never felt so close to anyone in her entire life. She was sure he was going to propose.

“We had had marriage discussions so I was expecting it,” she wrote on Reddit. 

But the trip came to an end and the young couple got on their plane home, not engaged.

"I was disappointed but thought 'oh well it'll happen eventually'," she wrote.

And to her HUGE surprise, it did happen. John proposed. Well, sort of. He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't hold out a ring for her, he didn't ask her to spend the rest of her life with him, in fact he didn't say (or do) anything. But he proposed.

It was about a week after they arrived home and John invited his girlfriend to a friend's house for a party. She calls the friend 'Peter'. She describes the event as a small get together, nothing special but a good time. It was a classic BBQ in a backyard with some tunes.

Only it wasn't just a classic BBQ. John and Peter disappeared inside the house. Only Peter came back outside. He lowered the music and took John's girlfriend's hand.

"Then Peter got down on one knee and - I sh*t you not - brought out a ring and said, 'cowardlyproposal' will you marry John?" she wrote.

"I stammered for a bit and said 'Yes?'"

The whole situation turns in to a bit (more) of a mess from here.

"I began awkwardly laughing thinking it was some kind of joke, but then John came out with a big smile on his face and put the ring on my finger. I asked nervously, "What's going on?" But John just said, "We're engaged now!" And everyone just sort of awkwardly followed him and Peter at celebrating it. I was so embarrassed but didn't want to make a scene in front of anyone," she wrote.

John was excited. Later on he asked his new fiancee to stay at his for the night instead of going back to her place alone. But she got in the car and - understandably - burst into tears. She asked if John was serious. He said yes, but dodged most of her questions and said he was just nervous.

"I told him to drive me home," she wrote.

She called Peter later and asked him about the scenario. Peter said John had been begging him to do it. He told her John had wanted to do it in Italy but chickened out. Peter had said no several times, but in the end John said he'd pay Peter $75 to do it.

"What am I supposed to think or do now? I love John, I felt I had the perfect man, so what the hell? Am I overreacting? John has been texting and trying to call me since I've been home. I'd answer but I just don't have any words right now," she wrote.

What would you do?