u/AdhesivenessNew6817

my manager and I got each other. The spending limit was $25. I got her a specific scented candle she was always talking about and kept on her desk. It was about $18, and to make the gift nicer, I also got her a small, hand-painted pot for one of her succulents, because she loved the plants on her desk so much.
When it was my turn, I got a greeting card. Inside it was written: 'It's been so great working with you! Your gift is to organize the supply closet.' I let out a little laugh, thinking it was a gag before the real gift, but then my manager smiled widely and snatched the card from my hand to read it aloud to the whole team.
A few people let out awkward laughs. The HR manager, who was her lunch buddy, asked if there was a real gift. My manager said she would 'hook me up' later. Everyone else got gift cards, nice mugs, and things like that. And I sat there feeling like an idiot.
The 'hook me up' turned out to be her taking me through a nearby coffee drive-thru. She got me an Americano on the company's dime and spent the entire 15-minute drive talking about how hilarious her 'joke' was. She never once apologized.
I was smiling and nodding and trying not to cry into my coffee. The $18 isn't a fortune, but money was tight for me and I had decided to skip getting a small thing for my brother to stay within the gift exchange budget. I found a new job about four months later and pretty much ghosted her during my last couple of weeks.
To top it all off, HR contacted me afterward and asked if I had received a gift. I was honest and told them she bought me a coffee with company money. The HR lady said she was disappointed to hear that and that she would handle it. Of course, nothing happened. Meanwhile, my manager's office smelled amazing and her plant looked lovely in its new pot. I hope she tells this story sometimes and gets the dead silent stare she deserves.