Firstly,
thank you SO much everyone for your help! I was worried I was overreacting/being annoying. I've seen on other threads where people get shut down for "is this acceptable or not" questions so I'm very grateful for your patience and advice.
@dontencourageme At first I thought it was just a mark but now I can clearly see it's a crack!
@tashtashhh I was hoping to be able to look past it but knowing the potential for the wear and tear to be worse than usual, I will definitely have to take it back in!
@Mapoon The other side is perfect. I hadn't noticed an issue with the stitching so thanks for pointing it out!
@Carlamm Will do!
I've tried to smooth it with my fingers and while the flaking has kind of rubbed away, there is still a noticeable crack. I will have to take it back in store and see if they can repair/replace. And I was quite happy with the monogram alignment and stitching on this piece as well...so close yet so far to using this little cutie! I'll keep everyone updated.