18-Year-Old Tells Parents She’s Engaged — Internet Sides With Her Folks’ Unenthusiastic Reaction

The average divorce rate in America for first marriages is between 40–50 percent, and for second marriages it's even higher at 60–67 percent.

But that isn't even the most harrowing statistics associated with marriages, however. The outlet Zillions referenced a study conducted of married couples that actually stayed together and they asked them a simple question.

Did they marry their true love?

Seventy-three percent of folks who responded said that they ultimately "settled" and that no, they were not with their soulmate: "A study by Siemens Festival Nights concluded that 73 percent of married people SETTLED. They did NOT marry their 'true love.' They settled for 'good enough' or made the safe choice. 17 percent said they met their soulmate too late, when they were already married to someone else."

Given these statistics, it's understandable why you, or anyone you know who is thinking about getting married at a young age, may want to test and/or challenge every aspect of their relationship to see if that person really is your soulmate / forever person.

A TikToker named Hailey Brown (@haybray06) ended up getting engaged at just 18 years of age, and begins her video clip where she informs her parents of the news by showing off her ring into the camera. She exhales and walks toward the kitchen island, writing in a text overlay: "Engaged at 18 and my PARENTS' reactions..."

She covers something in a Tupperware with a towel and calls out to her parents, who begin walking down the stairs to greet her in the kitchen. The TikToker runs to the camera and states, "My heart's racing," as she runs back to the covered-up plastic container, awaiting the arrival of her folks.

Her mom calls out to her off-camera, asking Hailey why she's being "so mysterious," to which Hailey just giggles. The young woman places her hands on the countertop and bounces up and down, seemingly unable to contain the anxiety she's feeling before making the reveal to her folks.

After a little over a minute of waiting, her father shows up at the kitchen island, sipping from a reusable water bottle.

"OK, I made something for everyone. It says a surprise on it. OK, I don't know how you guys are gonna react, but, it's important so —"

"Happy fall," her mom remarks, before continuing, "It says 'happy fall,'" presumably referencing a decoration in the kitchen. Hailey laughs again, her hand placed on the towel covering the plastic cake container.

As Hailey lifts up the towel, she realizes that the top plastic cover is still affixed to the bottom of the plastic cake container, so she unclasps it and then begins a countdown, still covering the see-through top with the towel.

"Three ... two ... one," she says, removing the plastic container and dropping it on the countertop with a thud. Her parents then take a look at the cake and try to make out what it says: "We're enraged?" her mother asks, prompting more laughter out of Hailey.

"Why are you enraged?" she asks, questioning why her daughter is so angry before acknowledging what the cake says. Dad is silent, staring at the cake, his chin resting in his hand.

"She proposed to me," Hailey says as Dad rubs his face. "She's recording us, in the cupboard," Mom points out before Dad looks at the camera, sits back, and grunts to himself.

He says nothing, murmurs, and then takes a sip of water.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" she asks as her mother repeats again, "I don't know why you're so enraged."

"Congratulations," her dad says before stating that "it's 9:42" and that everyone is "thrown off" by the announcement.

"Are you happy?" her mom asks her daughter before stating that she's "happy for" her daughter and that her and her dad only want her to "be happy."

Mom says that since she "just turned 18" she needs a "minute to let it sink in," as Hailey grabs the phone from the counter before turning it off. "But if you're happy —" is the last thing that's uttered before the clip cuts out.

It seemed like everyone in the comments section, however, seemed to side with the way her parents reacted to the news: "If you're more nervous than excited to tell people this kind of news, your heart knows why," one person wrote.

Someone else remarked that they found the whole situation funny: "Not the teenager proposal using a promise ring," they penned.

Another person recounted their own experience to Hailey, writing: "Girl. I got married at 18. Divorced by 20..."

Whereas others loved the way her mother was looking out for Hailey's father: "Mom is clutch for telling Dad about the camera."

Another person shared their own experience with engagements: "I was so nervous to tell my parents I was engaged at 18 but wasn’t at all when I got engaged again at 27. It’ll all make sense down the road, love."

Someone else found it strange that her fiancée wasn't there with her to share the news with her folks either: "Your fiancée isn’t there to tell your parents?"

Whereas someone else simply penned: "Canon event, we can’t interfere, y'all," referencing a line from Across the Spider-Verse.

While it's probably evident to a lot of older folks watching her video that she's more than likely making a grave mistake steeped in naïveté, isn't there something to be said about allowing people to make mistakes, and that the true test of life is seeing how you handle yourself during and in the wake of those situations?