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The moment I knew: I’d quit my job and was newly single

When Monika Ruggerino broke a restaurant lamp – a favorite item of the charismatic chef Antonio – she had no idea it would change the course of her life

The moment I knew: I’d quit my job and was newly single

TL;DR

  • Monika Ruggerino broke a lamp at Verde restaurant in Darlinghurst, Sydney, while helping a friend organize a 30th birthday party.
  • She met the restaurant's owner and head chef, Antonio, and was immediately attracted to him.
  • After experiencing a personal reset following a breakup and quitting her job at Bvlgari, Antonio contacted her and they began dating.
  • They married four years later, had two children, and the restaurant space became the location for her hen's party, baby showers, and now her jewelry studio.
  • Ruggerino considers breaking the lamp a "Sliding Doors moment" that changed the course of her life.