ABCJust as one woman was having "probably one of the best days" of her life, another was wondering if she was making "the biggest mistake" of her life.
The Bachelor ended up down a girl early tonight when the smartest one of them decided that the whole fall-in-love-en-masse thing wasn't for her.
So, who got an invitation to a one-on-one date (that came with jewelry!) and opted to leave before giving Ben a shot? And then guess which lovelorn lady from Brad Womack's season showed up to take her place?!
Brittney Schreiner, a 26-year-old medical sales rep from Colorado, decided that the Bachelor process just wasn't for her.
"I've taken some time to think what's best for me, and obviously what's best for you," the reluctant contestant explained to a startled Ben, whose aprés ski group date (in bikinis, with fake snow, in the street) was just winding down.
"I got your card about the one-on-one date—oh my God, it was the best feeling in the whole entire world. I feel like I don't even deserve a chance with you," Brittney admitted. "I really think you're going to find a great woman here, just not me."
And Ben, who fruitlessly got down on one knee at the end of the last Bachelorette, was visibly rattled as he handed Rachel "This is probably one of the best days of my life" Truehart the group-date rose. But...
The show must go on!
So, he offered Brittney's date to Lindzi Cox, winner of the first-impression rose on day one.
"I haven't felt like this over someone in a really long time," the 27-year-old from Florida said—and we don't blame her, considering she revealed to Ben that her last relationship ended with a text message from her boyfriend reading, "Babe, welcome to Dumpsville. Population: You."
OK, we get it! There are a lot of jerks out there and Ben is the only gentleman left! Which is perhaps why Shawntel Newton, the funeral director from Brad Womack's season who finished fourth, supposedly drove straight to San Francisco to join the party.
"Holy s--t!" is the first thing Ben said when Shawntel strutted her stuff past the confused and increasingly pissed off other women, who crowded out to the patio to see what the deal was.
"When I found out that you were the Bachelor, I of course was not happy, because you know I wanted to get to know you," Shawntel explained. "So, I decided I have to know."
He was understandably pretty shocked. But after she asked for a shot at a rose that night, Ben went and introduced her to the other women. You remember the hyenas from The Lion King, right?
"She rides in on her high hearse, no pun intended, saying she's here for Ben," dental hygienist Nicki Sterling said, the tears starting to flow. "And I'm not OK with it. I'm not. It's a hard process to go through. She just flaunts in, like, what makes her better than the other people who have already gone home."
Courtney Robertson, who earlier in the evening was super-anxious to "trim the fat," vowed (to the camera, at least) that she would leave if Ben gave Shawntel a rose.
So, what did the befuddled Bachelor do?
"Before I do anything tonight, actually, I'd like to say a few things, if that's OK," Ben said when there was one rose left and three women: Jaclyn Swartz, Erika Uhlig and Shawntel. "Where do I start? First of all..."
But then Erika all of a sudden suffered some sort of an anxiety attack, and Ben was cut short as the girls swarmed around her and Ben asked for water.
"It's all her fault," Courtney, who got the first rose at the ceremony, said, obviously sending daggers Shawntel's way.
"Phew, that was not expected," Ben said weakly. "I want to thank you again for being here. I know emotions run high...It's tough. These decisions are getting really difficult. Um, Erika, it's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you. Jaclyn, I appreciate you opening up to me...Shawntel, I'm flattered, the fact that you have come all this way and put it on the line to try and find love."
"As difficult as this decision has been, and as wonderful as you all are," he concluded, "I unfortunately think that I just can't hand out this final rose tonight."
Boom! And with that, Ben dumped three ladies instead of two, including the interloper and the two who were already choking up at the thought of being dumped in favor of the interloper.
Was that enough fat trimmed for you, Courtney?
"I was so not expecting to go home right now," Shawntel lamented afteward. "I just feel so dumb."