All Chapters of She Got the Ring, I Got a New Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

[Zita Rinaldi's POV]On the ride back, I couldn't take my eyes off my bare finger.I could feel my boyfriend, Emilio Gimondi, glancing at me from time to time, but he didn't say anything.I knew him. He was waiting for me to speak first.In the past, if it had been just the two of us in such a private space, I definitely would've complained in a huff. But now, I didn't feel like there was anything worth saying."Are you still sulking over the ring?"He finally spoke, his tone filled with the kind of helplessness one would use on a child."It was just a game. Carlotta made a bet with that kid from another family. Whoever lost had to hand over a family heirloom. She came and asked if she could borrow my ring. How was I supposed to say no? I would've been such a buzzkill."You're going to be the Gimondi family's Donna one day. You need to be generous and gracious. Don't act so petty with Carlotta."Generous? Gracious?I hadn't even said a word. I'd simply stood quietly in the co

Chapter 2

[Zita's POV]Now that I was home, I quickly started packing my things.On the desk in the study lay a single document—the acceptance letter from the University of Bellecourt's faculty of medicine for a fully funded medical residency. At the very bottom was my fresh signature.I picked it up, slipped it into the inner compartment of my suitcase, and texted Silvia Salvaggi, my upperclassman who was all the way in Bellecourt."Silvia, my flight's the day after tomorrow."Her reply was instant. "Have you finally come to your senses? Forget about your long-term war against Emilio's family. Come to Bellecourt—I'll take you to see the sights! And the doctors here are so handsome. Every single one of them is a terrible flirt!"I smiled faintly as I looked at the screen.…The next day, I was woken up by a call from Emilio.Maybe it was because I'd only fallen asleep near dawn after overthinking things the night before, but it was already noon when I checked the time on my phone.Thro

Chapter 3

[Zita's POV]Emilio strode over, his brows furrowed as his gaze landed on an open shoebox—the one holding the first pair of heels he'd given me after we got together. The soles were completely worn down, but I'd never had the heart to throw them away.His expression darkened, and he demanded, "Zita, are you really going to cause a scene over a stupid ring?"He kicked the shoebox aside.I didn't even look up. "I'm just switching out my clothes for the season, that's all.""We've been together for five years! I know what you're thinking! I already explained that I've only loaned the ring to Carlotta for a few days. I'll get it back from her soon. Do you really have to sulk over something like this? You weren't like this before!"I didn't bother explaining. "Think whatever you want."Irritation flickered in Emilio's eyes as he watched me. He stepped closer to me and softened his tone. "Look, stop this, alright? It's our fifth anniversary tomorrow, and I booked your favorite resta

Chapter 4

[Zita's POV]Carlotta's caption carried a hint of cutesy charm. "I encountered something really scary, but the person who means the most to me showed up as quickly as he could. He even brought my favorite pasta. Suddenly, getting into a car crash doesn't seem so scary anymore."Emilio's comment showed up below the post. "Take your time. No one's gonna steal your food."I locked my phone and rummaged through my bag, pulling out my New Arden driving license. I took one last look at it.In the photo, I was smiling brightly. That day, Emilio had been waiting just outside the photo studio. He'd told me, "Make sure it turns out nice. You'll be using this for a long time."I slipped the license into the magazine in the seat pocket in front of me. Then, I reached into my pocket and felt around until I found an old penny.Emilio had said it was his lucky coin. He'd given it to me and said, "Zita, on the day we get married, you can throw this coin into a wishing fountain. Then, we'll never

Chapter 5

[Third-Person POV]Emilio stared at the line of text on the screen."I'm leaving. I'm never coming back."His mind went blank. Before he knew it, his fingers had already dialed Zita's number. Her phone was off. He dialed again, and it was still off.He clenched the phone so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white.Carlotta walked over. "Emil, why are you just standing there?"Emilio didn't turn around. His call history was filled with Zita's name, and the number of missed calls was marked in red.Carlotta glanced down. A flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes, though her voice stayed soft and fragile. "Is Zita throwing a tantrum again?""She said she's leaving."Carlotta froze for a beat. Then, she laughed. "And you believed her?"Emilio turned to look at her."Emil, shouldn't you know better than anyone what Zita is like? She's been with you for five years. Your entire family looks down on her, yet she still stayed with you. And you think she'd walk out over a ri

Chapter 6

[Third-Person POV]Emilio walked inside.Every drawer in the study desk had been yanked open, and papers were scattered all over the floor. The computer monitor lay smashed on the ground. The screen was in pieces, and several keys were blown off the keyboard.The bedroom closet doors gaped wide open, the clothes thrown everywhere. His safe was perfectly fine, though. The door was shut tight.This wasn't a burglary."Zita Rinaldi!" Emilio shouted, his voice cracking.No one answered. He stood in the middle of the wreckage, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.Footsteps sounded at the door.Carlotta stood there in pale pink loungewear, a thermal food bag dangling from her hand. The second she took in the scene inside, the bag slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a smack."Oh my God." She covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red. "Emil, did… did Zita do this?"Emilio didn't answer her.Carlotta walked in, bent down, and picked up a shard fro

Chapter 7

[Third-Person POV]Emilio didn't look up."If Zita really cared about you, she would've come back already." Carlotta pushed the plate of fruit toward him. "She never truly cared about you. You know better than I do what she was after."Emilio speared an apple slice with his fork, but he didn't eat it. He set it back down."I'm tired."With that, he got up and went upstairs. Carlotta sat on the couch, watching his back disappear around the turn of the staircase. Then, she slowly let the smile fade from her face.…On the ninth day, Emilio had drinks at a business dinner.Across from him sat the Capo from another family. They were talking about the boundaries of their territories, but Emilio's mind drifted.The Capo raised his glass for a toast, but Emilio didn't respond. The man called him twice before he snapped out of it."Don Gimondi, is something bothering you?" the man asked."No." Emilio downed his drink. "Let's continue."When the dinner finally broke up, Emilio lea

Chapter 8

[Third-Person POV]Emilio listened to the recording twice. Then, he turned on his heel and left.The car shot up to 100 mph. When the light turned yellow, he didn't slow down. He blew straight through the intersection, his tires screaming against the asphalt as he took the corner.He kicked open Gimondi Estate's main entrance.Carlotta was in the dining room arranging flowers. She looked up at the noise. A smile was just starting to bloom on her face when Emilio strode over, yanked the calla lily from her hand, and threw it onto the floor."You're the one who trashed the apartment," he bit out.Her smile froze. "What are you talking about, Emil?""Maria told me everything." He held up his phone in front of her, playing the recording again.The moment Carlotta heard her own voice coming from the tiny speaker, all the color drained from her face. She stumbled back, slamming her knee into the chair leg and falling onto the seat."I… I was just—""You did it to frame her."Her m

Chapter 9

[Zita's POV]Time flew. Before I knew it, I'd been in Bellecourt for six months.I walked out of the anatomy lab with a thick stack of lecture notes in my backpack. The sky was already dark, and the streetlights along the Sevrene River were all lit, their warm yellow glow shimmering on the water.Classes had been brutal these past six months, starting at 8:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm, with only an hour off in the middle for lunch. Sometimes, I even had to go to the specimen room at night for reviews.When things got busy, I didn't have the headspace to care about anything else. My brain was packed with bones, nerves, and blood vessels; there was no space left for anything more.But I like it that way. It was exhausting, but solid. Every minute pushed me forward, and I didn't have to wait for anyone.I walked along the river toward my apartment. As I passed a bakery, I saw freshly baked croissants lined up in the window, golden and crisp. I pushed the door open and went in to buy

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