Woman Lets Friend Borrow Cherished Gift from Late Boyfriend, Is Shocked by the Condition It's Returned in Tereza ShkurtajOctober 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM 0 Guido Mieth/Getty Stock image of woman holding a book.
- - Woman Lets Friend Borrow Cherished Gift from Late Boyfriend, Is Shocked by the Condition It's Returned in
Tereza ShkurtajOctober 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM
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Stock image of woman holding a book. -
A year before his death, one woman's boyfriend gifted her a special book he knew she would love
After months of being asked to borrow the book, she finally gave in and let her friend use it
The woman, however, was shocked by the condition in which her friend returned the sentimental gift and demanded that she replace it
Some objects hold value far beyond their price tag. For one Reddit user, a custom edition of The Song of Achilles – a gift from her late boyfriend – was more than just a book.
It was a deeply personal keepsake, painted by hand, signed by the author and inscribed with a final message from someone she loved and lost.
"My boyfriend passed away about a year ago, and before he died he gave me this custom book," she wrote in a Reddit post. "He even wrote a note to me inside the cover."
Unfortunately, what should have remained a private treasure became a source of heartbreak when she agreed to let her friend "L" borrow it.
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Stock image of woman holding a book.
"I originally recommended she maybe buy her own book but she got upset saying I know she's unemployed and she can't afford to do that," the Reddit user recalled.
But after eventually giving in, it was clear her gesture had been taken for granted. The book was returned damaged – with coffee stains, dog-eared pages and scribbled annotations in purple pen.
"It was more like random paragraphs about her ex, doodles, underlines and random notes like 'this part reminds me of me and Jason lol,'" she wrote.
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Stock image of women exchanging a book.
And yet, when confronted, the friend laughed. "She said she 'made it more special because it had notes from a friend and now it looks like it's actually been read,'" and even claimed her late boyfriend "would have loved how passionate she was about it."
Her refusal to acknowledge the damage – emotionally or physically – cut deep, especially when she told the poster to just "let it go," dismissing the pain she caused.
The Reddit user demanded that her friend replace her book and called her "out of line" for ruining property that didn't belong to her. She made it clear: "I didn't care about money, I just wanted her to take responsibility."
Some of their mutual friends, however, chimed in to say the Reddit user was "overreacting" and "projecting her grief."
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Stock image of two women arguing.
Reddit readers, however, largely agreed that the original poster's reaction was understandable, but some argued that the initial mistake was lending such a precious book in the first place.
"You're definitely NTA but it IS your fault for lending such an important book. Never in a million years would I lend something so precious no matter how many times someone asked," one commenter wrote. "Ditch this person who is not a friend and I hope this painful lesson is learned and engraved in your brain now."
Others firmly defended the original poster, insisting she bears no blame for the damage. "The book wasn't accidentally ruined. It was ruined on purpose," one wrote. "I absolutely agree she shouldn't have lent it but it is not her fault. The fault lies entirely with her 'friend.'"
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