My Sister Stole My Late Wife’s Wedding Ring and Gave It to Her Daughter

Ok so here’s the deal. My (38M) wife, Emily, passed away 4 years ago from cancer. It was the hardest thing I ever went through, and honestly, I’m still not over it. We were together for 15 years, and she was my everything. When she passed, I kept her wedding ring in a little jewelry box on my dresser. It’s a very sentimental item to me.

Fast forward to now, my sister, Claire (41F), has a 17-year-old daughter, Maddie, who just got engaged. Yeah, 17. I told Claire I thought it was crazy for Maddie to get married so young, but that’s not the main issue.

A few weeks ago, I noticed Emily’s ring was gone. I freaked out and searched everywhere, thinking I misplaced it, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t the case. I didn’t want to accuse anyone without proof, but I had a feeling.

Then, at Maddie’s engagement party last weekend, guess what? She’s wearing Emily’s ring. I confronted Claire in private and asked her why Maddie had it. She tried to brush me off, saying Maddie “fell in love with it” when she saw it once, and Claire thought I’d “want it to go to family” since I wasn’t using it anymore.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I lost it. I told her to get the ring back immediately, or I was calling the cops. Claire flipped out, saying I was being “selfish” and “ruining Maddie’s big moment.” I don’t care! That ring was my late wife’s, and it means everything to me.

Now, the whole family’s involved. Some people are on my side, saying Claire was way out of line, but others think I’m overreacting because it’s “just a ring” and Maddie’s “a kid who didn’t know better.”

Maddie’s crying, Claire’s calling me a monster, and my parents are begging me to “just let it go for the sake of peace.” But I can’t. It’s not about the ring being valuable; it’s about what it represents.

I told Claire I’m giving her one week to return the ring, or I’m filing a police report. Now everyone’s calling me dramatic and threatening to cut me off if I go through with it. I feel like I’m going crazy.

So, Reddit, am I the a-hole?