A man in Kenya recently tried to be romantic and surprise his girlfriend with an engagement ring. Unfortunately, instead of a trip down the aisle, she took a trip to the hospital.

“Jessica Hawayu almost died after swallowing a ring buried in her plate of pilau. Jessica Hawayu’s lover, Johanna Charo, wanted her to discover the ring then propose to her, but unfortunately, she swallowed it,” a tweet from Monday (March 13) read. The social media post quickly gained steam, gaining hundreds of likes and over 40,000 views. According to MSN, although Hawayu’s father approved of her beau, he wasn’t a fan of the proposal strategy.

“Dad had protested the idea, but since there was no better idea, we decided to take a chance with the one we had and proceeded with it,” her sister told the outlet. Loved ones who were present said all was going well, and everyone was enjoying their meal at the young woman’s home in Gongoni, Tana River County, but when Charo walked up to embrace Hawayu from behind, she began choking on the hidden ring. Frantic, her father began hitting her on her back to get her to cough it up. Hawayu then threw up and passed out.

The frightened family members rushed her to a local hospital, and after doctors assured them she was fine, Hawayu said, “Yes!” Once things were settled, Charo said, “I have learned a very hard lesson. That is how we would have killed my wife. The devil is a liar.” Hawayu’s brother, Oscar Habil, added, “We did not anticipate that would happen, but dad feared it would. That was so close, it left mum crying.” When asked why the family chose to hide the engagement ring in the food, her sister said the dish held a special meaning. “Pilau is our father’s favorite and also her boyfriend’s. So she knew she was doing it for dad and dedicated herself to it,” she shared.