James Allen News Center

Here`s a sad, but amusing story about love gone wrong. It involves Rena Hope Friedman, Roger Adler and one very expensive engagement ring.

When Roger Adler, 42, asked Rena Hope Friedman, 41, to marry him, she gladly accepted. Roger then slipped a $58,000 diamond and platinum engagement ring on her finger.

Just 12 days later, the engagement unfortunately ended. However, when Roger asked for the engagement ring back, Rena simply refused.

Now Roger is suing Rena in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming Rena accepts marriage proposals and engagement rings then breaks off the engagement and keeps the rings. He claims his ex was "previously engaged to another male . . . the engagement ended under similar circumstances . . . [she] failed to return the engagement ring in the previous matter," according to court papers.

Roger said the pair met at a Hamptons Labor Day party after being introduced by their mothers. He also said that Rena was set on marriage, and that they dated for only six weeks before he proposed. "She kept rushing me and rushing me," he said.

The day after Roger presented Rena with the gorgeous ring, she managed to convince the appraiser to put her name on the appraisal in preparation for selling the ring in her name.

"The lies were piled higher and higher," he lamented. "You have no idea." He also said that she began making expensive demands, including that he buy a new BMW and book first-class tickets to Australia for their honeymoon. "No one travels coach to Australia," she supposedly told him.

It all came to a head when Rena insisted that Roger`s parents not attend the wedding. "They've seen two already. They've had their share," she allegedly said.

Mr Adler ended the engagement after less than two weeks.

In the suit, Mr Adler accuses Ms Friedman of fraud – arguing that she intended to dump him and keep the ring all along.

Mr Adler's attorneys said the case law regarding engagement rings is crystal clear: an engagement ring belongs to the person who bought it until the marriage occurs.