She Told TikTok She Wanted A Ring By July. Then The Clock Ran Out.

On TikTok, where the mantra “If he wanted to, he would” reigns supreme, Eve Tilley-Coulson did the unthinkable: For nine months, she documented her time in “engagement purgatory” — the increasingly maddening wait for a proposal. Last November, she told both her boyfriend and her 200,000-plus followers about the promise she’d made to herself six years earlier: If she didn’t have a ring on her finger by her 38th birthday on July 7, 2026, she’d pursue motherhood with a sperm donor on her own. The countdown had officially begun.

Eve’s always been candid about her love life online. In 2023, she went viral after offering $5,000 to anyone who introduced her to her future husband. Just four days later, she met Glenn, 38 (whose last name is being withheld for privacy), on Hinge. They bonded over their careers as attorneys and mutual love of sports. He was drawn to her goofy side; she liked how grounded and unflappable he was. The Los Angeles-based couple moved in together last October, and when she broached the subject of her ideal relationship timeline, he said they were aligned.

In between TikToks about reality TV and mental health, Eve openly shared their path toward an engagement. Viewers weren’t necessarily interested in the romance itself; a December video about how she’s not settling received zero comments. But when Eve vented her frustration in April, people weighed in with advice (“Babes, he’s not the one”) and anticipation (“I’m waiting too lol”).

Some videos were clearly tongue-in-cheek — in April, she joked that Glenn was “‘too busy and stressed’ at work to plan a proposal but has time to eat lunch and read Twitter.” Others were deeply vulnerable. In May, she admitted, “I’m feeling sad. I know he loves me, but it doesn’t feel like he sees me or understands me,” and was met with an outpouring of empathy. (“We are here for you!”) As July 7 drew closer, some viewers were rooting for Eve and Glenn, but others urged her to leave, calling him “a giant walking red flag.”

Eve celebrated her 38th birthday at the World Cup in Houston. The next day, however, she broke the news to the internet: She wasn’t engaged, but she wasn’t walking away, either. Glenn promised he’d be down on one knee soon, and in the meantime, she’d begin investigating IVF. Responses ranged from “I’m so proud of you for choosing yourself 🥹” to “the energy around this is SO BAD” to “the period between knowing ur getting proposed to and the proposal can make the most stable woman go crazy.” Her story became a lightning rod for views on relationships.

Glenn ultimately popped the question on July 30, the shared birthday of Eve’s mom and dog, at their second-date spot, the bluff overlooking Santa Monica Beach. He presented Eve with a ring of his own design — “he got our zodiac signs, Cancer and Capricorn, engraved on the inside because I’m a little bit of a woo-woo girl,” she says — and arranged a surprise party.

Five days later, she spoke to Bustle about internet scrutiny, regrets, and wedding planning.

Congratulations on your engagement! How are you feeling?

Good. It’s not necessarily a surprise.

Why did you make that promise to yourself for your 38th birthday?

I’ve always wanted kids. My uncle is into astrology, and when I was 17 or 18, he said to my mom, “You need to get her on birth control. Her chart is screaming that she wants to be a mother.”

When I was 32, I accidentally got pregnant. The guy I was with wanted nothing to do with the kid, and I went back and forth on what to do. I consulted with six different psychics, a celestial astrologer, a hypnotist, and a witch who had been recommended by Oprah. I had another witch from England. Obviously, I also had a therapist. At 10 weeks, I decided to have an abortion and then froze my eggs.

That’s when I promised myself: If I’m 38 and a guy’s not ready to commit to a life with me, then I would continue the relationship the way a single parent would; I wouldn’t expect him to take on any responsibilities, but he wouldn’t have any parental rights.

Glenn knew all that. What caused the delay?

He was very burned-out at work. The idea of organizing a proposal, ring shopping, all of that was way too much. There was some functional freeze going on. He wanted to do it. He just didn’t know how.

In April, he said, “Look, I don’t feel like I have the capability to plan a proposal right now.” He quit his job in May.

What happened as your birthday got closer?

The day before, I was like, “I take it you’re not proposing tomorrow because I’ve heard nothing whatsoever.” And he was like, “Well, I didn’t know you meant specifically by July 7.” I had a meltdown. I was thinking, “How did you not know? I was very clear and direct.”

He thought I meant sometime this summer. He was like, “That’s my bad for not getting those details and understanding that more conclusively.” He said it would devastate him if I got pregnant with someone else. I was like, “The ball’s in your court, bud.”

Do you think that having a following online changed your experience of waiting for a proposal?

Yes and no. When I talked to all my girlfriends, girls in my DMs, even strangers, every single one of them said they’d been in engagement purgatory. I was just the one saying it out loud. And yet, I got comments like, “You’re desperate. You’re pushing him. You’re just asking for a shut-up ring.”

Do you think people would’ve been less critical if you’d spoken less about your struggles in the relationship?

One thousand percent. I was advised by everybody not to talk about it. My manager was like, “Yeah, if you could edit things more…” And I’m like, “You want me to edit out the real part?”

But whatever I said got picked apart. I posted a video that was all the reasons I love Glenn. He’s a good listener and stable and consistent. They were like, “Oh, well, then, he’s not funny. He’s not smart.” And it’s like, “Jesus Christ.”

Did the negative comments make it harder for Glenn to propose?

For sure. He stopped reading them. They made him feel sh*tty, like he was put under a microscope. If I had to do it over again, I don’t know if I would’ve shared any of it.

What did he think about you continuing to post about it?

He’s always known how important it was for me to be authentic about my feelings, both to him and publicly. He loves my honesty, and that includes me being open with people online.

[Editor’s note: In a follow-up interview, Glenn said, “I’m fine with what she puts out into the world, but a lot of people have developed this weird parasocial relationship with Eve, and for whatever reason, they feel empowered and entitled to talk to me in a pretty disrespectful way. It’s better for me to just remove myself.”]

Why did you want to post about waiting for a proposal?

For better or worse, I don’t really feel shame. If there are five women who see my story and get their fertility tested, I’d rather they get to have kids than a couple trolls get to feel good about themselves.

Before he proposed, you two considered booking your dream wedding venue, a hotel near where you grew up in Alabama. How did that pan out?

In June, I was like, “Just as a warning, venues like that get snapped up.” And he was like, “Do you know if they have availability?” I emailed them, and they only had a few dates left for spring 2027, when we want to get married. I told him, “I’m not going to lead this conversation because that leads into the whole forcing-your-hand thing.” So I was cc’ed on emails and there for the calls, but he was the one communicating. Just by virtue of the timing, we didn’t put down a deposit until after we got engaged, but we had a contract.

Will you be posting about wedding planning?

I don’t know how much of that I’m going to share. People have a lot of opinions.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.