Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Prologue
2020
Colin Bridgerton, like his seven siblings, had only ever known love within the relationships that surrounded him. His parents had been married for 32 years, nurturing a love born from friendship, which added even more years of mutual affection.
Being raised by such an adoring couple instilled in him a deep appreciation for life, but for Colin, the constant longing to have what his parents had was overwhelming.
That feeling didn’t waver when Daphne found her soulmate at the tender age of 19. How could his younger sister be more open to romance than he was?
Then came Anthony—despite his ever-growing scowl—who found Kate, a woman who challenged him and shattered his barriers.
For a while, Colin had Benedict by his side—until he became obsessed with the woman dressed as Zorro at the annual Bridgerton ball. After a year of relentless searching, he found Sophie, and they had now been married for six months.
It wasn’t that Colin wasn’t happy for his siblings—he was—but the question of when his turn would come haunted him. Was he worthy of the kind of love that seemed to be granted to everyone else in his family?
His mind was a whirlwind of questions—until he saw Marina approaching him during a charity dinner. Then, all he could hear was silence. He couldn’t have been more grateful that Penelope had brought her cousin that year. Eloise’s best friend—and, in a way, his too—had always had his affection, but in that moment, she had his gratitude as well.
From that night on, Marina became everything to him. It felt as if fate had finally sent him the right person: always available, eerily similar in taste, like a perfectly wrapped gift. And he couldn’t have been in more of a hurry to experience what his siblings had.
The Bridgerton family, however, was not as receptive to the relationship, even regarding his sudden attachment with a hint of suspicion. Edmund called him aside for a talk, advising him to take things slowly. Violet told him she admired his sensitivity, just as she had admired his father’s, but that he needed to be cautious when getting to know someone new.
Colin felt somewhat betrayed by them. Why had all his siblings received unwavering support in their relationships, but not him? Even Penelope seemed resistant to her own cousin. Was everyone against his happiness?
Against his own will, he decided to slow down. He didn’t want to give anyone a reason to further scrutinize his relationship. However, when, after three months of dating, Marina told him she was pregnant, he ran to the nearest jeweler and slipped a ring onto her finger.
Everyone was in shock at how things had unfolded. Marina wanted to get married within a month so her pregnancy wouldn’t be too obvious, and Colin, dazzled by the idea of connection, eagerly embraced the plan—despite everyone's warnings.
His father felt torn between supporting his son through hardships and acknowledging the lack of love between the couple, who exchanged affection in front of him. To Violet, the rehearsal dinner felt more like a funeral—her sweet boy slipping away before ever knowing true love.
The Bridgerton siblings were even worse at hiding their discontent, especially Eloise, who spent the entire meal at the long event table in No. 5 glaring at them with disdain.
— “Penelope, you have to tell him” - Eloise whispered to her best friend, slicing her steak with unnecessary force.
— “I’ve tried. Every time I try to get close, Marina finds a way to keep him away” - Penelope whined, her heart heavy as she watched the two of them. This went beyond her secret feelings for Colin—her cousin was deceiving the most loving family she had ever known, and she couldn’t allow it.
— “I’m feeling a little nauseous” - Marina made a small grimace, placing a hand on her stomach - “Would it be okay if I went upstairs to rest with my girls?” - She looked at the two women who would be her bridesmaids.
— “Of course, my love” - Colin answered before anyone else could speak - “Do you want me to come with you?”
She shook her head.
— “No” - she forced a smile - “Enjoy this moment with your family.”
The three women stood up.
— “Feel better, dear” - Edmund offered his best attempt at a smile, followed by his wife.
The others didn’t even try. And once the plates were empty and champagne started filling glasses at the reception, Penelope found herself pushed forward by Eloise, finally cornering Colin.
— “Colin” - she greeted him, breathless - “I need to talk to you.”
— “Of course, Pen” - He smiled at her - “We haven’t talked much about your writing lately. How are your creative writing classes going?”
He was as kind as ever, which only made everything harder.
— “They’re great, one month until graduation, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about” - Her eyes darted around the room, noticing the stares directed at them - “Can we speak in private? In the library?”
Colin’s face showed clear confusion, but he nodded and followed her up the stairs until they were surrounded by the vast collection of books.
— “What did you want to talk about, Pen?” - He shut the door behind them and tucked his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.
— “She doesn’t love you” - The words burst from her throat.
— “Penelope, you too? I thought we were friends” - His face hardened with anger - “For God’s sake, she’s your cousin. You should be happy for us.”
It felt like shards of glass piercing her chest, but she couldn’t leave that room without at least trying to tell him the truth.
— “I would be happy for you if it were real, Colin” - She spoke faster than she intended - “The baby isn’t yours. It’s George’s—her boyfriend from school” - The words tumbled out - “She’s four months pregnant with his child, even though she told you it was only three. She’s been deceiving you this entire time and only wants to marry you for your family’s money. She—”
— “ENOUGH!” - His face was red, consumed by rage - “I’m not going to stand here and listen to you spew these absurd lies about the mother of my child.”
Before Penelope could say anything, he yanked the door open—only to reveal Eloise, Benedict, and Anthony with their ears pressed against the wood.
Colin let out a frustrated growl, quickening his steps toward the room where Marina’s friends were staying. They had to be there. He could hear the footsteps of his brothers following behind him, but when he turned to tell them to stop, laughter echoed through the narrow hallway.
— “I still can’t believe you actually pulled it off” - said one of Marina’s friends—impossible to recognize with how little time he had spent around them.
— “I’ve always been smart. I told you I didn’t need college to make it in life” - Marina’s voice rang out.
Colin’s body froze, but he still caught sight of Penelope, head lowered, approaching the group huddled by the bedroom door.
— “Is George really okay with another man raising his child?”
Time seemed to stop, and all Colin could feel was the trembling in his legs.
— “Keep your voice down, you idiot” - Marina laughed - “When his family has a fortune of nearly a billion euros, he might find a way to be okay with it.”
Anthony took a step forward, ready to put an end to the spectacle, but Benedict grabbed his arm, holding him back.
— “Honestly, I should thank my idiot cousin for being so sweet and bringing me to the party” - Marina’s voice dripped with sarcasm - “All I had to do was say I’d feel lonely, and she fell for it like a fool.”
The other two women chuckled.
— “Can you believe she saw my messages with George and actually threatened to tell Colin everything?” - She raised her voice, amused - “Lucky for me, he’s so needy and gullible that even if she had, he never would’ve believed her”
Colin’s gaze flickered to Penelope, her tear-filled eyes downcast. He absorbed every word—because, in the end, she had been right all along.
Fueled by boiling rage, his legs moved toward the voices before anyone could stop him. Large hands shoved the door open with force, ripping startled screams from all three women—especially Marina, who stared at him in sheer panic.
— “Baby—” - Marina tried to speak, but he cut her off immediately.
— “SHUT UP” - It was as if the sweet man everyone knew had been replaced by pure, unfiltered rage - “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.”
— “Colin, this isn’t—” - He stormed toward the wardrobe, grabbing the bags of all three women and throwing them into the hallway, where Anthony, Benedict, Eloise, and Penelope stood, watching in shock.
— “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT” - His voice was so loud that footsteps on the staircase began to echo - “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. YOU WON’T TAKE ANYTHING ELSE FROM MY FAMILY.”
— “Colin, I love you, I—”
He laughed. A deep, bitter laugh, thick with tears in his eyes.
— “You never loved me. I was just a needy fool who almost fell for a gold-digger’s trap.”
By now, the entire Bridgerton family had gathered by the door.
— “Son” - Edmund stepped forward slowly, and Colin collapsed into his arms. The only sound in the room was his quiet, shuddering sobs.
His father held him close, leading him away to another room, leaving behind a heavy silence. But before disappearing, Edmund exchanged a knowing glance with his wife.
— “This is over” - Violet’s usually gentle voice, now laced with pain, drew everyone’s attention - “Anthony, please see to it that all the remaining guests downstairs are sent home.”
Anthony nodded, squeezing Kate’s hand before leaving.
— “Marina and your friends” - Violet’s gaze turned toward the women still sitting on the bed, the two trying to console the disgraced ex-fiancée - “I always suspected that you didn’t truly love my son, but I never imagined you were capable of such cruelty.”
Everyone watched in silence.
— “Leave my house.”
Then she turned to the family gathered at the door.
— “Benedict, stay and make sure they leave. The rest of you, come with me.” - She walked toward the library, her children following without question.
Once the door shut behind them, words were lost in the confusion of so many Bridgertons in one place.
Penelope hesitated before stepping closer to Violet, like a wounded animal.
— “I swear, the moment I found out, I tried to tell Colin. He just wouldn’t—”
The matriarch pulled her into a warm embrace, and finally, the tears Penelope had been holding back spilled freely.
— “My dear” - Violet cupped her face gently, wiping her tears - “Not for a single moment did I ever believe you had any part in this.” - She stroked her cheek - “You are like a daughter to me.”
She pressed a kiss to Penelope’s forehead.
— “Do you think he’ll be okay?” - Penelope’s voice was barely above a whisper.
— “Yes, darling,” - Violet murmured, running a soothing hand through her hair - “Eventually, everything will be okay.”
September 2020 (Five Months Later)
He was not okay.
The image of the sweet, kind man everyone knew was shattered that night. From the moment Colin stopped locking himself in his room and returned to the world, everything was different. It was as if he had donned an impenetrable suit of armor.
Though he remained affectionate with his family, everyone noticed the change, yet no one spoke about it. What he needed in that moment was support. So that’s what they gave him— even when they saw him gravitate toward destructive friendships, even when he came home drunk every night, even when he started keeping a list of the women he slept with.
At first, he wore the wedding ring out of resentment for what had been taken from him. But later, when the sadness faded, he realized—thanks to his friend Fife—that it was a powerful magnet for women. According to Fife: “They love a married man with a tragic story.”
And in the end, he was right. Most of them loved hearing his lies about how his “wife” was a terrible woman. It didn’t matter that he felt filthy after every night or that he had to endure his father’s look of disappointment. At least, in this, he felt in control.
Then, on a night like any other, he saw her.
Her red waves cascaded down her back as she sat at the bar, wearing a black dress that offered a tantalizing glimpse of her décolletage. His feet instinctively started moving toward the beautiful woman—until he saw her face.
His legs froze.
It was Penelope. His Penelope.
He hadn’t seen her since that night, unable to face her after refusing to believe her words. But she looked different now—confident, free from the garish yellow dresses Portia had forced her to wear, even in college.
Her face was still perfect, her round, sculpted cheeks even lovelier when flushed. Her crystal-blue eyes, now accentuated by dark makeup, shone brighter than ever.
She was the very image of temptation—
And all he had wanted lately was to be tempted.
— "Long time no see, Pen." – He slides onto the seat beside her, flashing his best smile.
— "Colin?" – Her eyes widen in surprise.
— "Good to see you." – He nods at the bartender. – "What are you doing in a profane place like this?" – She blushes.
— "I had a date." – She looks down, embarrassed.
— "Had?" – The smile never leaves his face.
— "He had an emergency." – She plays with her rings. – "I’m just going to have a beer and leave."
— "Two of your best beers, please." – Colin orders as the man approaches. – "His loss, my luck." – His eyes sweep over her body, and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat.
— "Please, don’t start with that talk." – Her voice comes out as a whisper.
— "What talk, little Pen?" – He rests his elbow on the counter.
— "I’m not little, Colin. I’m already 21." – She huffs, and realization hits him.
— "I missed your birthday." – He says more to himself.
— "My graduation too." – She adds, sadness in her tone.
— "Pen, I’m so sorry." – He shrugs, feeling sorry for himself. When had he let so much slip by?
— "It’s okay. I think you’re so caught up in your own pain that you stopped noticing the people around you." – Her words hit Colin like a bullet to the chest.
— "That’s not fair." – He gets defensive. – "And I’m not in pain anymore. I’ve moved past that part of my life." – She says nothing. – "I don’t love Marina anymore. In fact, I think I loved the idea she wanted me to believe in." – He gives a sad smile. – "I never apologized for not listening to you that night. I’m sorry." – Penelope sighs, her gaze softening.
— "It’s in the past." – He doesn’t hear much truth in her answer. – "Are you still pulling that nonsense with the ring?" – She looks at his hand wrapped around the glass.
— "How did you—Eloise." – He answers himself, and Penelope smiles.
— "Does everyone secretly think I’m an idiot?" – He grumbles.
— "Actually, I think everyone publicly thinks you’re acting like an idiot, but not that you are one." – She’s honest. Deep down, they all believed his true nature would win this internal battle.
— "I’m happy like this." – He responds easily, and she nods, unconvinced.
— "So, have you already told some woman that your wife beats you?" – Penelope lets out a sweet laugh, and Colin realizes how much he missed having her around.
— "Well, you’re my target, but since you know my story, I’ll have to think of something new." – He leans in slowly, but Penelope pulls back.
— "That won’t work on me, Colin." – She rolls her eyes, taking money from her purse and placing it on the counter. – "I’m leaving." – Before she can stand, Colin grabs her hand.
— "Wait." – He feels warmth spread through the touch. – "I’ll take you home." – Her face wrinkles, but he continues. – "My father would be furious if I let you go home alone at night." – Her expression softens.
— "Alright." – He smiles, feeling victorious inside.
Colin didn’t know where that feeling came from, but realizing that the owner of the voluptuous body he desired was Penelope only made him want her more. That night, a name on his list would be marked with a star: "Penelope."