Karen’s housewarming party started out great. Her new home was gorgeous, and the highlight of the living room was a massive 75-inch 4K TV. As soon as guests arrived, Karen was quick to gush about it. She went on and on, explaining in dramatic detail how amazing the picture quality was and how it was “the ultimate addition” to her home.
Everyone nodded politely, offering the usual compliments. At first, I didn’t think anything of it—just the usual excitement from someone who’d just moved into a new place.
But as the evening wore on, I found myself pulled aside by Karen. She cornered me near the end of the party with a smirk on her face.
“So,” she began, her voice sounding casual, but there was a sharp edge to it. “When can I expect your $1000 for the TV?”
I blinked, completely confused. “Excuse me?”
She sighed dramatically, like I was the one who was being unreasonable. “I bought the TV as my housewarming gift to myself, and I expect everyone to chip in. It cost $4000, so I’m asking $1000 from you, Mom, Dad, and my brother.”
For a moment, I just stared at her, trying to process what she was saying. The sheer audacity of it took me by surprise. “Karen, we didn’t agree to this. We thought housewarming gifts should be something thoughtful, not something that’s dictated by the host, and certainly not something so expensive.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “But I already bought it! I need everyone to pay me back. It’s not fair if you don’t contribute.”
I felt my frustration building but tried to keep calm. “Karen, gifts are supposed to be voluntary. You don’t get to demand money for something you decided to splurge on.”
Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t say anything. It was clear to me that she was not about to back down, but I wasn’t about to let her get away with this nonsense. I had to show her just how unreasonable she was being.
The very next day, I marched over to Karen’s house, carrying a box wrapped in colorful paper. She opened the door with a smile, clearly expecting me to have had a change of heart.
“Oh, you didn’t have to,” she said, though her hands were practically twitching to open the box.
I smiled back and handed it to her. “I know how much you love your new TV,” I said sweetly. “So, I thought this would be the perfect gift for you.”
Karen eagerly tore open the wrapping paper, her eyes sparkling with excitement—until she saw what was inside. She froze.
There, nestled in the box, was a universal remote control—a cheap, no-frills one.
Her face turned bright red. “Are you serious?” she asked, holding it up as if it were some kind of joke.
“Completely,” I said, feigning innocence. “I figured every TV needs a good remote, and this one fits perfectly within our budget. Thoughtful, right?”
Her frustration was clear as she stared at the remote, speechless for a moment. “I asked for $1000, not this!”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Like I said, Karen, gifts are about what the giver wants to give, not what the receiver demands. This is what I can afford, and I thought it would go well with your TV. You should be grateful.”
Her face turned a darker shade of red, and she opened her mouth to argue, but I didn’t stick around to listen. I turned on my heel and left, feeling more satisfied than I’d ever felt after a confrontation.
The next day, my husband told me that Karen had complained to the rest of the family. Apparently, she was upset that I hadn’t come through with the $1000. But to my surprise, everyone sided with us.
His mom had said, “She bought the TV without consulting anyone. She needs to learn that’s not how gifts work.”
Hearing that made me smile. It felt good to know that the rest of the family understood where I was coming from. Karen eventually stopped demanding the money from us. While she wasn’t thrilled with the “lesson” I had given her, she never tried to pull anything like that again.
As for the remote control? I heard through the grapevine that she actually ended up using it, and it worked just fine with her TV.
Sometimes, you have to teach people a lesson, especially when they think they can take advantage of others. I felt proud that I stood my ground, and honestly, it was a win for all of us.
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