When you have a family heirloom, you take on the role of a guardian, making sure it safely passes from one generation to the next. That’s exactly what I planned to do with my family’s cherished emerald necklace, but my new husband’s shocking suggestion turned my plan upside down.
I recently sought advice on Reddit about my dilemma. It all started with our family tradition of giving the emerald necklace to the eldest child on their 14th birthday. My daughter, Emily, is next in line to receive this special piece on her upcoming birthday in January 2024.
I’ve been married to Joey for two years, and we’ve been together for four. We both have daughters from previous relationships. Joey knew about the tradition and my intention to give the necklace to Emily. However, during a Christmas gift discussion, he made a stunning suggestion.
Joey proposed that his daughter, Sophia, should get the emerald necklace instead. He said it would be a way for me to show I accept Sophia as my daughter.
I felt uncomfortable with this idea and explained that Emily was excited about receiving the necklace, knowing it was a long-standing family tradition. Joey, however, refused to back down.
He accused me of favoritism, calling me selfish, and insisted I could just buy another necklace for Emily on Amazon. I stood firm, telling him the heirloom was going to Emily, no matter what he thought.
Joey was clearly not happy with my decision and started giving me the silent treatment, except when the kids were around. He then escalated things by telling his mother and sister, who accused me of favoritism and supported Joey’s belief that the necklace should go to Sophia.
Feeling the strain on my marriage, I turned to Reddit for opinions on whether I was in the right. The internet community overwhelmingly supported me!
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.”
Another person added: “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.”
So, what do you think of my situation? Would you have done the same thing? Let me know in the comments!
