Free prize inside? Eric Cloutier sold a watch box for $10 not knowing that his hospitalized wife had hidden her diamond wedding ring inside for safe keeping.

ABC News

Racquel Cloutier, 31, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., speaks after her husband Eric Cloutier had a garage sale and accidentally sold her wedding ring, which she hid in a watch box while she was in the hospital having their fifth child.

Someone’s in a whole world of trouble.

Eric Cloutier made the worst sale of his life — when he accidentally swapped his wife’s $23,000 diamond wedding ring for just $10 at a garage sale.

In a move he’ll regret for years to come, he sold an old watch box — which he didn’t realize contained the item — as spouse Racquel was in hospital giving birth to their fifth child.

The devastated couple is now hoping the buyer will “be honest enough to come forth and return the ring.”

Racquel, from Laguna Niguel, Calif. told ABC News she was still in the hospital when her husband decided to clear out the clutter from their home with a garage sale.

“He didn’t know that before I went to the hospital, I put my ring in that box. I wanted the ring to be in a safe place and out of reach from my 2-year-old twins,” she said.

On returning from hospital on June 5, she realized the box was missing — and soon found out it had been sold for the paltry sum at the sale.

“I said, “You sold it? What do you mean you sold it?” I immediately started crying,” she added.

Revealing she was still “very, very upset,” Racquel is now throwing herself on the mercy of the buyer.

“I would never, ever keep the ring if I had found it,” she said. “If you’re honest, you’re honest. Clearly, the ring was in the box by accident.”