When someone has a family heirloom, they act as a custodian, ensuring that it is carefully passed down from generation to generation.
However, for one woman, this basic plan took a horrible turn when her new husband suggested a different technique.
Seeking advice on Reddit, the 35-year-old woman described her predicament, which stemmed from her family’s tradition of passing down an emerald necklace to the eldest daughter or son on their 14th birthday. Her daughter, Emily, is set to receive this treasured relic on her 14th birthday in January 2024.
The woman, who has been married to her husband Joey for two years, explained that they’d been together for four years, and that they’d both had daughters from previous relationships.
Despite Joey’s knowledge of the family custom and the woman’s intention to give Emily the necklace, he made a startling suggestion during a Christmas present discussion.
Joey recommended that his daughter, Sophia, receive the emerald jewelry instead, claiming that it would allow the mother to declare her acceptance of Sophia as her daughter. The wife was uncomfortable with the offer, explaining that her daughter, Emily, was aware of the family tradition and eager to receive the necklace. Unfortunately, Joey was quite stubborn and refused to modify his mind.
In fact, he accused his wife of partiality, alleging that she was being selfish and that she could easily buy another necklace for Emily from Amazon! The woman, however, remained undeterred and stayed steady, stating that her family relic will be given to Emily regardless of Joey’s opinion.
He was clearly disappointed that the wife would not change her mind, so he gave her the quiet treatment (except when the children were there).
Joey then escalated the matter by telling his mother and sister, who accused the woman of bias and agreed that the necklace should go to Sophia.
Feeling the strain in her marriage, the woman turned to Reddit for advice on whether her actions were justified. Unsurprisingly, the internet community overwhelmingly supported her!
One person wrote: “You’re not favoring one kid over another. Emily is your kid and the necklace is hers. Your [stepdaughter] is not entitled to anything. I would have told him that his daughter can get the knockoff from Amazon if it’s that important to him.”
They then added: “That being said, you need to put the necklace in a safe place like a box in the bank or something because trust me, as soon as Emily has it, it’s going to ‘disappear’ or be broken by ‘accident.’”
Another person agreed, saying: ” It needs to be locked up in a safe place so that neither your [stepdaughter] nor your husband can get their hands on it. I would sit down with Emily and explain why you are doing so and that while you consider it hers, it’s best to keep it safe.”
What do you think of this situation? Would you have done the same thing as this woman? Let us know in the comments!
