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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Breakups are never easy, and it can be difficult to decide who gets to keep what. Some people might label their belongings, while others will pack anything they want to keep (they won't notice if the air fryer goes missing, right?). But one woman has gone viral after revealing the miniscule items she's intent on keeping during her breakup.
When Crystle Siegel and her boyfriend broke up in September 2023, just a matter of days before their two-year anniversary, it was clear that they needed to keep it amicable. She continued to live with him in Bologna, Italy, for six months, and although they kept it civil, she told Newsweek that "tensions just got higher as time went on."
By the time she started packing her things, there were certain items that she knew were coming with her and she certainly wasn't willing to compromise. You might be thinking the coffee machine or perhaps the television—but no, in fact Siegel was determined to keep her clothes hangers instead.
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She said: "I knew I was going to kick off the move by packing my clothes, so it made sense to start by removing his clothes from my hangers as I knew I was taking them with me.
"I brought the hangers with me from the last city I lived in, and I like them a lot, so it was a no brainer to take them. Also, I totally forgot how many hangers I have. I was always running short when we lived together and turns out he had been using so many of them."
Siegel spent 30 minutes removing her ex's clothes from the hangers and packing them away. But wanting to keep the peace between them, she kindly placed his shirts on other hangers, rather than slumped on the floor. There wasn't enough for all his clothes, but she joked that it's "not my problem."
After packing the hangers, Siegel shared a video on her TikTok account (@ppebbz) with the caption: "Things my ex doesn't expect me to take, but I am." The clip has been viewed more than 5.5 million times and gained over 521,400 likes so far.
Social media users can't get enough of her decision to keep such a trivial item during the breakup, and while many people have said it was petty, Siegel doesn't necessarily agree.
She told Newsweek: "I took everything that I had before moving in, as well as anything I paid for while we were together. I didn't think of it as revenge because he had no right to them. It was just me taking something I owned before I knew him. If it inconvenienced him, I guess I could call it a bonus.
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"I don't think of myself as petty. I brought a lot for the house and it makes no sense to spend more money on things I already purchased. Why should he get to stay in a home that was made comfy by things I put the time, energy, and money in to acquire, and then I have to buy all these things all over again?"
After finding a place of her own in February 2024, Siegel loves being able to hang all her clothing up in her new closet, without having to share any of the hangers.
The hilarious TikTok video has already racked up more than 4,100 comments as many people shared their own similar breakup experiences.
One person responded: "my ex wanted half the DVDs, so I left him the cases."
Another person joked: "I took the lightbulb that I replaced while living there when I moved out."
While another comment reads: "Mine did not expect me to take the curtains off the rods and leave the curtains behind."
If you have a relationship dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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