Woman Backed for Demanding $3,500 From Boyfriend for Broken Model Ship

The internet was quick to recommend one woman separate from her boyfriend after he drunkenly broke a rare model ship she received from her late father.

In a viral post published on Reddit's popular r/AmITheA**hole,Redditor u/Blue-Ozone-1870 detailed the model ship's great monetary and sentimental values — and how it ended up smashed against a wall. Titled, "AITA for insisting that my boyfriend pay me for breaking my $3,500 model ship?," the post has received more than 17,000 votes and 2,700 comments in just 10 hours.

Explaining that she and her 37-year-old boyfriend have been together for six months, u/Blue-Ozone-1870 said that he and his friends recently gathered to celebrate his birthday at her home. During the celebration, she said her boyfriend and friends began drunkenly throwing sofa pillows at each other.

Then, they grabbed the model ship, which the 33-year-old Redditor said was worth $3,500.

"I walked out the kitchen and saw my model ship in my boyfriend's hands. I rushed to get it but he passed it on to his friend," she wrote. "I started running around trying to catch it while yelling at them to stop."

"My boyfriend grabbed it again. I was so angry, I told him to hand it over but he said I needed to kiss him first," she added. "I yelled at him and he tried to throw it to his friend who tried to catch it but missed and hit the wall and broke."

Immediately after her late father's model ship was smashed by her boyfriend and his friends, the Redditor said she demanded $3,500 to replace the model. She also threatened legal action, much to her boyfriend's dismay.

"I lost it! Kicked all of his friends out then had a fight with him telling him this was a sentimental item from dad and demanded that he pay me $3,500 because this is how much it costs," u/Blue-Ozone-1870 wrote. "He left, then called in the morning asking if I was serious about wanting him to pay $3,500 and I said I was dead serious."

"He started making excuses, saying he was drunk and [that] I never told him about this ship and how important it was for me," she added. "I hung up on him telling him I'm expecting the $3,500 and that I wasn't afraid to take the legal route if I have to. He kept texting asking me to let it go."

While rare model ships can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and $3,500 falls well within the price range certain vintage models are listed for on sites like Wayfair and eBay, many Redditors commenting on the viral Reddit post focused on the interrelational disrespect described by u/Blue-Ozone-1870.

Disrespect, blatant or covert, is a main predictor of breakups, according to The Gottman Institute. When one partner feels disrespected by another, growing feelings of contempt have been shown to erode bonds and drive couples apart.

In a list detailing potential signs of disrespect in a relationship, Bustle reported that crossing boundaries and violating a partner's space and property is a major red flag, and should be treated as such.

"Healthy relationships are all about establishing and respecting one another's boundaries," clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly told Bustle. "Boundary-crossing can take many forms, and often gets worse over time... none of it should be taken lightly."

Although the Redditor's boyfriend claimed he didn't know how valuable and sentimentally important the model ship was, commenters responding to the viral post were ruthless about the 37-year-old's behavior.

In the post's top comment, which has received nearly 26,000 votes, Redditor u/CakeEatingRabbit said u/Blue-Ozone-1870 was justified for demanding the $3,500 and questioned her boyfriend's reckless actions.

"[Not the a**hole]," they commented. "But he is 37? And treats you... and your possessions like that? You deserve better."

Redditor u/Acedia_spark, whose comment has received more than 6,700 votes, said the original poster's boyfriend's excuses were unvalid, and maintained that she should absolutely be repaid for the broken model ship.

"I don't take new partners or guests on a tour of my home and indicate everything's value so they know what's financially or emotionally viable for them to break," they wrote. "These people were in YOUR house, disrespecting YOUR things and broke something important to YOU."

"He absolutely should be paying for it to be replaced or repaired," they added.

To conclude the viral Reddit post, u/Blue-Ozone-1870 asked r/AmITheA**hole's 3.6 million members if she treated her boyfriend badly. In a fiery comment, which has received more than 3,000 votes, Redditor u/MaybeAWalrus assured her she did not.

"You didn't treat your [boyfriend] badly! He destroyed your property, disregarding you when you asked him to stop. This is a huge lack of respect on his part," they commented. "If he can't respect you more than that, he deserves to be single and have $3,500 less in his pockets."