What might have been

Everyone deserves a happy ending

Her breath emerged in delicate pants, tickling his lips as he pressed himself closer to her. Her petite form was pressed against the garden wall, her hands, much smaller than his own, felt warm against his chest. He ran his nose up her neck, inhaling the delicious citrus scent that made his mouth water. His fingers traced her jawline as he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, the tip of her nose gently, even though all he desired was to devour her. He leaned forward, his heart pounding in his chest as he moved towards her lips... finally... finally to kiss her and satisfy his craving. Penelope Featherington was beautiful, a siren, a goddess. How he had failed to notice it was beyond him. His hands traced her curves slowly, savouring each dip and flare—the kind of body that inspired sculptors. He kissed her fervently; she was whispering his name with need.... slight moans and desperate pleas. He had never seen a woman more beautiful than her.

Suddenly, she pushed away from him. Penelope's eyes held an expression that was unfamiliar to him. She appeared so... hurt and angry, her eyes reflecting her pain.

"Stop, Colin. I told you I never wished to see you again. Why are you here?"

"Pen..." He tried to step closer, to comfort her. But she raised a hand, stopping him, and looked at him with such hatred.

"I do not want you here... you have no right to be here... leave," Penelope said, her tone reflecting how much she despised him. "Go back to your wife, Colin."

"Pen... I do not wish to be with her... I desire to be with you." He wanted to beg, to convince her that he wanted her and only her.

"Stop, Colin. I do not wish to hear your lies. I know you are in love with her. I was there, remember? Sitting through your courtship with her, chaperoning... breaking my heart every day. You will never know, and you will never understand, how much pain I had to endure because you never cared how I felt. All that mattered was her, right? You chose her, and she is now your wife."Her voice was bitter. She laughed humorlessly, a sound he never wished to hear from her again. "Not everyone gets to marry their first love, Mr. Bridgerton. Congratulations on your nuptials... I didn't get to say it before, as I was busy."

"No, Pen... no... I don't love her... I never loved her... I don't want her... I don't want to stay married to her... I will seek an annulment... then we can be together... I promise..." He pleaded desperately, but Penelope interrupted his rant.

"I don't care, Colin... it's too late... this is the last time you will see me." She looked at him as though he were a stranger. "Thank you for coming to my special day. I am sure you had other things to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Colin asked, confused. That was when he noticed Penelope was in a white wedding dress, large and poofy. She looked like a vision, diamonds adorning her ears and neck, glowing and utterly beautiful. "It is time," he heard Portia Featherington's voice behind him.

Portia took Penelope's hand, and they walked away without sparing a glance in Colin's direction. His heart clenched in his chest, and he dropped down on his knees. His throat felt closed, and no sound came out as he tried to stop them. Tears streamed down his eyes as he cried, unable to stop her from walking away from him, to marry someone else.

Colin woke up startled, his entire body covered in sweat, his heart feeling like it would pop out of his chest. What if... what if he couldn't get an annulment? What if Penelope married someone else? What if she didn't love him anymore?

Colin had reached Aubrey Hall the night before. He had already talked to Phillip about his plan, and he was understanding and receptive to it.

But he was yet to convince Marina. A mutual decision would be easier for them. But he didn't know this woman or how she would react. Perhaps it made him seem naive, but he wasn't even aware that a woman could ever lie about something like pregnancy. Which just made him more confused about how a person like that would react if someone went against their plan. Considering her plan was to trap Colin in marriage and fatherhood he didn't sign up for, she was not someone he wanted to have prolonged contact with, he thought bitterly.