This is more of a would I be the asshole.

My mother-in-law, who my husband has a very guarded relationship with, keeping her at an arms length, because she was/is a complete narcissist, she was mentally and emotionally abusive and an addict when they were kids. But this controlling/self-pity/attention-seeking behavior still permeates her behavior now, however improved she is nowadays.

For Christmas she asked us what we wanted, and my husband sent her a bunch of ideas and links. Instead of getting anything remotely similar to what we suggested, which were not demands because she asked because we don’t really see her so she just don’t know us very well, she went two 2 stores and selected a gift card for 1 thing from each place. A specific brand of shoes from one place, and a fragrance from another. She had the exact dollar amount including tax loaded on the cards because didn’t know what size/style/scent I wanted. So this is a very strings attached gift.

I don’t like any of the perfumes from this one place, which are cheap and shitty, and I have a pair of shoes that’s the same style as the brand she wants me to use the gift card for, I don’t like having multiple identical items because it doesn’t make sense to me.

I told my husband that I’m probably going to put both gift cards toward a new blouse or something from each store, and he told me she would probably be upset and call me out on it when she follows up. He doesn’t care what I do, but was warning me. I don’t really care either, because she’s so distant I literally just don’t care.

But I do want to know if it is objectively bad etiquette or make me an asshole if I don’t use the money on the gift cards specifically for what she intended?