Can we say the most dramatic season finale ever?
The season finale of “The Bachelorette” didn’t disappoint as viewers witnessed Tino Franco propose to Rachel Recchia and vow to spend the rest of his life with her.
However, just moments after the proposal, Franco admitted to cheating on his new fiancée in Tuesday night’s tense conclusion.
“I messed up, and I kissed another girl,” the general contractor, 28, told the flight instructor, 26, during an emotional confrontation.
“The second I did, I knew I belonged with you, and this was the tiniest thing ever, so I just tried to … get past it,” he explained.
As Recchia questioned Franco further for more details, he shared that he kissed a woman he had met after going on the ABC reality series, but he was insisted they never went on a date.
Franco then pulled out a journal in which he documented his post-show conversations with Recchia about her wanting to return her engagement ring, seemingly trying to place the blame on the “Bachelorette” co-lead as their relationship rapidly crumbled.
Recchia then begged Franco to tell the truth because she was very doubtful that eded with just a kiss between him and the other woman.
As Franco broke down and started sobbing, Recchia took off her ring and declared she was done with him.
After a commercial break, the former couple came face-to-face for the first time since their on-camera breakup.
Franco again apologized for his actions, telling Recchia, “I couldn’t imagine what you felt or were going through. I always remember you being so sweet and kind to me. You were amazing, and you didn’t deserve what I did. It was all my fault and had nothing to do with you.”
With her family watching on from the audience, Recchia told Franco, “There is absolutely no excuse for what you did. You broke my heart.”
In yet another surprising twist, the segment ended with “Bachelorette” host Jesse Palmer bringing out Recchia’s runner-up, Aven Jones, who asked the Chicago native to leave with him. She enthusiastically agreed as Franco stood up with a stunned look on his face.
Franco had been a front-runner since the beginning of Season 19 and even received the coveted first impression rose during the premiere in July.
Despite him being a front-runner, Recchia and Franco hit a bump in the road when his parents failed to give their blessing to the reality stars’ romance during the show’s hometown dates in August.
Still, the couple pressed forward with an engagement earlier in Tuesday’s finale, with Franco telling Recchia on bended knee in Mexico that he would love her until the end of time.
Obviously, that’s not true. Maybe his parents knew all along that it was never going to work.
