The Bachelorette lived up to its promise of the most dramatic season finale ever.
Shortly after viewers saw Tino Franco propose to Rachel Recchia and vowing to spend the rest of his life with her, he admitted cheating on his new fiancée at Tuesday night’s tense conclusion.
“I screwed up and kissed another girl,” the 28-year-old general contractor told the 26-year-old flight instructor during an emotional altercation.
“When I did, I knew I belonged with you, and that was the smallest thing there was, so I just tried to… get over it,” he explained.
Pressed for more details, Recchia Franco shared that he kissed a woman he met before going on the ABC reality series, but insisted they “never went on a date.”
Franco then pulled out a journal documenting his post-show conversations with Recchia about her wanting to return her engagement ring, and apparently tried to blame the “Bachelorette” co-lead as their relationship quickly fell apart.
“I really felt like I found my person,” Recchia told host Jesse Palmer.ABC
Recchia implored her fiancé to “tell the truth” and said she “very doubts” he just kissed the other woman.
As Franco broke down in tears, Recchia declared that she was “done” with him and took off her ring.
After a commercial break, the former couple came face-to-face on camera for the first time since their split.
Franco apologized again for his actions, telling Recchia he “can’t imagine what [she was] go through” and praised her for “always” being “so sweet” to him.
“You were amazing and didn’t deserve what I did,” he confessed, acknowledging that his “fault wasn’t [her] Mistake.”
As her family watched from the audience, Recchia told Franco there was “absolutely no excuse” for what he did.
“You broke my heart,” the former “Bachelor” contestant added, calling the California native’s transgression “inexcusable.”
Recchia shared her “Bachelorette” duties with co-lead Gabby Windey.ABC
In another surprising twist, the segment ended with “Bachelorette” host Jesse Palmer pulling out Recchia’s runner-up, Aven Jones, who asked the Chicago native to go with him. She enthusiastically agreed as Franco stood up with a stunned expression on his face.
Franco has been at the forefront since the start of Season 19, even earning the coveted First Impression Rose at the premiere in July.
But Recchia and Franco hit a stumbling block when his parents failed to give their blessing to the reality stars’ romance during the show’s hometown dates in August.
Still, the couple pushed forward with an engagement early in Tuesday’s final, with Franco Recchia saying on bent knees in Mexico that he “would love.” [her] until the end of time.”
Definitely not.