The short story "The Necklace" is about a woman who wants to live a rich lifestyle but cannot afford to. She borrows a necklace from a friend to wear to a fancy ball. However, she loses the necklace after the ball and must work for 10 years to pay for a replacement, going into debt. Many years later, she confesses to losing the original necklace to her friend, who reveals the necklace was actually cheap imitation. The woman's desire to appear wealthy led to years of hardship that could have been avoided if she had been honest.