Golden Bachelor Finale: 1 Woman Makes Shocking Decision to Decline Fantasy Suite’ Leaves Show After Doubting Mel’s Feelings

Warning: this story contains spoilers from the season 2 finale of The Golden Bachelor.

One woman did not find her happily ever after on The Golden Bachelor season 2 finale.

After last week ended on a cliffhanger, the dramatic final episode picked back up at Cindy’s Fantasy Suite date with Mel Owens, 66, as Cindy, 60, questioned his true feelings about their future. During their date, she asked, “So what do we do from here?”

“If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Mel quipped. “So that begs the question, is there a will?” Cindy replied.

Ultimately, Mel admitted, “I am torn between you and Peg,” and Cindy decided her doubt was too strong to continue on her journey. “I didn’t come here to explore options,” she said. “I’m looking for a life partner.”

“It’s definitely hard for me because I’ve wrestled with trying not to shut down, just to still remain present, to still remain open and vulnerable,” she explained, as Mel interjected: “You have, and I appreciate that. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not working. I thought it’d be different. I’m out.’ You’re a brave soul for sticking through it.”

While Cindy acknowledged that she and Mel were “well-suited for each other,” her mind was made up after he revealed that he wasn’t ready to propose for “maybe two years.”

“I cannot believe what I’m listening to,” she said. “I gave him every opportunity to say, ‘Just be patient with me. I’m falling for you.’ And he still could even go there. He’s like, ‘Just wait for two years. Let me see where I am in two years.’ I’m sorry, but if you find a person who makes a good partner, that’s your time to commit.”

Making the decision to decline the overnight date and go home, Cindy offered some final words to a “shocked” Mel.

“I have a philosophy,” she said. “It is to behave as if my future husband will be proud of how I’m living. If it’s you, if it’s someone else. I mean, it’s a short process, for sure, and maybe you don’t have all the answers about me, about Peg, about yourself. I kind of want my guy to feel like he got struck by lightning and can’t live without me.”

“I think you’re great, but I’m not sure I just want a free fall for that long,” she continued, telling cameras, “He’s not interested in making any type of commitments for several years. I’m in my golden years. I’m 60 years old, and I’m not interested in being put on hold. He is just not my person.”

A retired biomedical engineer from Austin, Cindy’s bio described her as a “one of a kind” mother of three who enjoys outdoor activities and is looking for a “lifelong bond.” Early on, she credited Mel for bringing up feelings she hadn’t had in “a long time,” but her struggle to see him dating other women quickly came with those newfound emotions.

When it came time for her hometown date, she confessed to Mel that she was falling in love, but he was not ready to reciprocate the sentiment, increasing her worries about their connection that followed her to Anguilla ahead of the finale.

“I haven’t seen him since Hometowns, where I’ve told him that I’m falling for him,” she said. “I’ve imagined Mel getting down on one knee a million times, but I know Peg is somewhere here on the island too, and every minute that I’m not with Mel, I wonder if he’s with her. That doesn’t feel great. With overnights happening this week and another woman involved, that’s really where I’ve been hurt the deepest in my life. So it’s scary not knowing how he feels about me.”

In the previous episode, Cindy finally admitted to Mel that she felt she was expressing more interest in him than he was in her — particularly pushing back when he said he was still unsure about choosing between her and Peg, 62. However, Cindy still didn’t get the answers she had hoped for.

“You don’t really have questions for me, and I’ve grappled with that more than I’ve shared with you,” Cindy revealed. “What’s holding you back? I hate to push you, because it’s unfair, but I really would like to know. Do you see a future with us? How are you feeling about us? How do you feel about me? For me, the chemistry with you is off the charts.”

Mel explained that “it just takes time” for him to develop a deeper connection, citing his past relationships as the reason he is resistant to jumping into marriage, but Cindy wondered if it was more personal than that.

“I’ve been vulnerable and I want to feel that my partner is excited to move forward with me and to share their life with me,” she said. “I just don’t know what’s holding him back.”

The Golden Bachelor is available for streaming on Hulu.