A woman was left in a tricky situation when her husband gifted her an expensive £230 necklace, which she immediately wanted to return – but she said she had a good reason.
She explained on Mumsnet that she had lost a cherished necklace given to her by her mother 25 years ago before she went travelling. The gold chain with a small St. Christopher pendant had felt like a good luck charm to her.
A few days after losing it, she found the chain on her doorstep while cleaning her car, but the pendant was missing. But while the woman was doing laundry last week, she found the pendant and was overjoyed and couldn’t believe it had turned up.
Unfortunately, her husband had already bought her a new chain and pendant for her birthday, not knowing she would find the original piece.
The woman explained to her husband that she wanted to “return or exchange” the jewellery, but he was upset because “he thinks the one he bought is better”. She tried to explain that the original necklace held sentimental value for her, but he dismissed her feelings.
“He then tried to belittle the original necklace and boasted about spending £230 on the new one. This annoyed me because I always tell him I don’t need or want expensive jewellery as I prefer simpler items”, she vented. “It felt like he spent that much for his own satisfaction rather than mine, and he has a habit of always telling me how much he has spent, which I find distasteful.”
Despite her attempts to explain that the necklace from her mother was irreplaceable, her husband remained “annoyed” that she wanted to exchange it.
In response to her story, one commenter wrote: “If he doesn’t understand this, I don’t think he ever will. He sounds like a complete idiot. You’re not wrong at all.”
Another offered advice, suggesting: “I would keep and wear his one and put your mum’s one away to keep safe as it’s special and irreplaceable.”
However, another person came to the man’s defence, writing: “Your husband was probably really pleased to have thought of buying you this special gift to make up for the one you lost. He may now be very hurt that his gift means absolutely nothing to you, no sentimental value at all, whereas your mum’s is everything. To be honest, I think you’ve been thoughtless and may have some bridges to build!”