Woman’s Mother-in-Law Demands Heirloom Wedding Ring Back

Wedding rings have long been a symbol of a couple’s commitment to one another and a reminder of the special day they became betrothed. One woman received an heirloom wedding ring from her husband’s side of the family, but after nine years of marriage, her mother-in-law is demanding that she hand over the bauble. The reason? According to a heated post on Reddit’s “Relationship Advice” subreddit on December 28, 2024, her husband’s mom wants to pass down the memento to a grandchild, and since pregnancy is a risk for her daughter-in-law, children aren’t in the cards for her.

In her post, the Redditor recounted an unpleasant experience she had with her mother-in-law during Christmas at her home in 2021. After waiting for her son to leave the room, the woman demanded that her daughter-in-law return the heirloom wedding ring. “Husband overheard, came back in, and MIL stated it was because she ‘wanted it to stay in the family with a grandchild, and we hadn’t had kids,’” the original poster explained. “We said absolutely not, that was my ring.” 

The Redditor’s mother-in-law was persistent: This past Christmas, she tried asking for the ring again. Since the couple still didn’t have children, the woman said she was going to give the heirloom bauble to their niece, a three-year-old girl that the Redditor’s brother-in-law had with his “mistress,” per the Reddit post. “My husband got angry and shut it down,” the OP recalled. “(We should have just walked out.) MIL stated she wants it to stay in the family, my husband said ‘we are family.’” Because pregnancy would be “very high-risk” for the Redditor, she noted that her mother-in-law’s pestering was “triggering” and “hurtful” for her. She added that even if they fostered or adopted a child, her mother-in-law wouldn’t view the child as a “true grandchild,” the OP continued.

The Redditor noted that her mother-in-law has had a history of overstepping and overshadowing her “wonderful” marriage with her husband. When the OP’s sister-in-law was expecting twins, her husband had an affair with another woman for three years, which the Redditor claimed her mother-in-law “enabled and lied in wild ways to help him keep it a secret,” according to the post. Despite her hand in her son’s infidelity, she deflected the blame, accusing her daughter-in-law of being responsible for the affair. “MIL has told me ‘you caused BIL to cheat – when you and husband got married, BIL lost his entire support and best friend,’” the Redditor said. 

Her mother-in-law also has a criminal record, which consists of wire fraud, escrow fraud, and embezzlement of more than $300,000, according to the post. For all of these reasons, the woman and her husband have agreed to only see her twice a year during major holidays. The wedding-ring fiasco seems to be the last straw for the OP—now, the Redditor is debating ending all contact with her mother-in-law.

The internet encouraged the woman to follow through with her desire to cut contact with her mother-in-law. “Enough is enough for you,” a Reddit user concluded. “Cut them off and enjoy the peace.” A few pointed out that her husband can maintain a relationship with his parents, but she’s under no obligation to see them. Some even suggested that the woman and her husband move to a different town or city, since her in-laws live in close proximity to them. The OP responded to this comment, noting that she blocked all of them on social media, but moving would be a sacrifice, since they have “excellent careers” and “wonderful friends” in their area.

Others noted that returning the ring would help end a relationship with her in-laws. “See, I’d give the ring back because I’d want nothing to [do with] those people and then go NC,” another said. Some argued that selling the heirloom ring is the better way to go (to avoid enabling the mother-in-law’s behavior) and then purchasing a brand-new one, symbolic of a fresh start.