When you hold a family heirloom, you become its guardian, ensuring it is cherished and passed down through generations.

But for one woman, her role as a custodian took an unexpected and troubling turn when her new husband suggested a controversial change to this tradition.

Seeking advice on Reddit, the 35-year-old woman shared her predicament, which started with her family’s custom of bestowing an emerald necklace upon the eldest child on their 14th birthday. Her own daughter, Emily, is set to receive this beloved heirloom when she turns 14 in January 2024.

The woman, married to her husband Joey for two years and together for four, both brought daughters from their previous relationships into their new family.

Although Joey was aware of this longstanding family tradition and that Emily was eagerly anticipating the necklace, he made a shocking suggestion during a Christmas gift discussion.

Joey proposed that his daughter, Sophia, should receive the emerald necklace instead, arguing that this gesture would symbolize the woman’s acceptance of Sophia as her own daughter. Feeling uneasy, the woman explained that Emily expected the necklace due to their family tradition. Joey, however, remained adamant and wouldn’t budge from his stance.

He went as far as to accuse her of favoritism, saying she was being selfish and suggesting she could simply buy another necklace for Emily online. Undeterred, the woman firmly stated that the heirloom would go to Emily, regardless of Joey’s opinion.

This disagreement led Joey to give his wife the cold shoulder at home, except when the children were present.

Joey even escalated the issue by involving his mother and sister, who both sided with him and accused the woman of playing favorites, supporting the idea that the necklace should go to Sophia.

Feeling the pressure on her marriage, the woman turned to Reddit to see if others felt her decision was justified. Unsurprisingly, Reddit users overwhelmingly sided with her!

One user commented, “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 further advised, “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 user agreed, adding, “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 made the same decision? Share your thoughts in the comments!