The story begins with a middle-class couple: a husband who has a respectable government position

and a wife named Matilda, who was born into a clerk family and was married to a clerk named M
Loisel, who wishes she could live well beyond her means. The husband returns home one day and tells
his wife, Madame Mathilde Loisel, that they have been invited to a great ball. The husband expects
this to make his wife ecstatic, but instead finds her in tears. She'd never be able to purchase a dress
and jewelry to look appropriate for the occasion. They buy her a dress after significant deliberation
and financial sacrifices on his part.

Madame Loisel is the belle of the ball that night, and the couple stays until the early morning. When
they return home, however, they notice Madame Loisel has misplaced the priceless diamond
necklace. Instead of telling her acquaintance, Madame and Monsiuer go out of their way to find a
replacement. They loan money and put in extra hours. They pay off the debts a year later and are
debt-free. They have, however, given up everything they have, including their happiness.

The women run into each other a year later while walking in the park, and the wife admits to the
incident. The affluent friend explains that the original necklace was an imitation rather than a genuine
diamond necklace.