When and how does reality hit Madame Loisel?

Reality finally hits Madame Loisel when she is truthful with Madame Forrester about the loss of the necklace and the sacrifices she made to replace it. Finding out the necklace was nothing more than paste shows Madame Loisel that she has lived a life of backbreaking work because she was too silly and vain to fess up in the beginning. Up until the night of the party, Loisel spent allof her time wanting more and believing that everyoe else had more. She wouldn't settle for anything but the best, and she foolishly believed that others felt the same way.