It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new relationship, especially. However, as Steph Bern Rose, a New Yorker living in Los Angeles, tells us, her excitement turned into confusion and anger. She recently took to TikTok to share a series of videos detailing how her engagement to a man she calls T completely imploded after she allegedly discovered he was hiding a secret marriage, a near-empty bank account, and a fake family heirloom ring. In her first post, she stated that T was a coworker who became a partner. She described him as “really sweet, really warm, affectionate, very generous, like he would give you the shirt off his back.” He was also tall and charming, and for a long time, everything felt right. She noted that since they both wanted a family and were in their late 30s, they decided to move quickly. They met each other’s families and even began planning their wedding, even before T proposed. That is when the first red flags reportedly appeared, with the finances. Steph claimed that she was conscious of budgets when they went ring shopping. From what she believed, T put down a 50% deposit for the ring they liked. Steph also found a beautiful bed and breakfast in Venice for their wedding, and they allegedly agreed to split the costs. For that, T connected his direct deposit to Steph’s account to pay his half, and the $10,000 for the initial venue deposits. She claimed that the money never arrived She alleged that T made excuse after excuse, claiming he couldn’t get to the bank or that the bank lost his check. Steph knew he was lying, noting, “That was the first, honestly, the first red flag. Because we all know in this day and age, if you deposit something into the bank and they print a receipt, there is going to be a digital record of it.” She then demanded to see his financials for full transparency before marriage. However, she told TikTok that he dodged the request, claiming he was locked out of accounts or had a general distrust of banks. @stephbernrose Story time: two months before my wedding I found out my fiancé was married to someone else, had $25 in his bank account and proposed to me with a pawn shop ring he claimed was a family heirloom Update: parts 2 through 5 are posted below #storytime #redflags #trustyourgut #conman #narcissist ♬ original sound – steph bern rose The pressure to propose mounted as they prepared for a trip to New York for Steph’s bridal shower. In post two, T supposedly psyched her out for days, leading her to believe he was about to pop the question, only for nothing to happen. Finally, she noted that he took her to a famous staircase in Silver Lake. There, he staged a proposal with a videographer and photographer they had already hired. Instead of the custom diamond ring they had designed, she said that he presented her with a small emerald ring, claiming, “This was my grandmother’s ring. It’s a family heirloom, and I wanted you to have it.” @stephbernrose Story time: at 38 I found out my fiancé was married to some else, had $25 in his bank account and proposed to me with a pawn shop ring he said was a family heirloom (part 2) #storytime #redflags #trustyourgut #conman #narcissist ♬ original sound – steph bern rose Steph is the daughter of an antiques dealer. So, she claimed that she knew the ring looked brand new. She just felt trapped by the cameras and went along with it. The ring was also key evidence for a Baltimore TikToker who found out that her fiancé was already married, with the same ring. When they were at the jewelry store to buy rings, she had become good friends with the salesperson. Steph stated that when T left the house to run errands, she called that friend to pay the remaining balance on the ring. According to the video, she was told that T had only put down $2,000 months ago and then disappeared. @stephbernrose Story time: at 38 I found out my fiancé was married to someone else, had $25 in his bank account and proposed to me with a pawn shop ring he swore was a family heirloom (part 3) #storytime #redflags #trustyourgut #conman #narcissist ♬ original sound – steph bern rose In the next post, Steph said that when T returned, she confronted him. He allegedly admitted he had been married before, a secret he had kept even from his own family. He purportedly also admitted to only having $25 in his bank account. Steph then claimed that she called the pawn shop where he had actually purchased the emerald ring. She told the community that they confirmed they had made it in-house, proving it was not a family heirloom. @stephbernrose Story time: at 38 I found out my fiancé was married to someone else, had $25 in his bank account and proposed to me with a pawn shop ring he swore was a family heirloom (part 4) #storytime #redflags #trustyourgut #conman #narcissist ♬ original sound – steph bern rose In the fourth post, she narrated the chaotic aftermath of her story. Steph claimed that she made T pack his bags and fly back to New York. There she contacted his family. It was when she found out that his lying was allegedly a pattern. In the end, she was out $20,000 for wedding deposits and other expenses. Interestingly, in Vegas, a woman married more than a dozen men, pocketed up to $20,000 from each, and gambled it away. However, Steph got her money back. She noted that “the one silver lining to all of this is that he kept his direct deposit going into my checking account, and ultimately, he paid me back.” Looking back, Steph admits she ignored red flags because she was eager to find her person.