When it was finally my turn to receive a gift, I opened the box eagerly, hoping for something meaningful, given how much I had poured into his gift. Instead, I found… a pack of toothpicks.
I stared at it, stunned, while his younger sister giggled in the corner, recording the moment. My fiancé grinned and said, “It’s just a prank! Lighten up!” But I couldn’t laugh. I had saved for months to give him something he truly wanted, and this felt like a slap in the face.
When I didn’t respond immediately, he asked sarcastically, “What’s wrong? Don’t like it? Should I give it to my niece instead?” His family erupted in laughter, but all I could feel was hurt.
I excused myself, locking myself in the bathroom to calm down. Minutes later, he knocked on the door, saying it was all a joke and handed me my “real” gift: a necklace. But the damage was done. I couldn’t shake the feeling of humiliation and insensitivity.
I spent the rest of Christmas at my mother’s house, reflecting on what had happened. His casual disregard for my feelings and the way his family joined in the joke made me wonder if this was the kind of relationship I wanted for the rest of my life.