Lauren Bushnell put on a brave face for the media after her engagement to Ben Higgins aired on The Bachelor finale in March, but on the inside, she was really hurting.
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Bushnell wasn't surprised at all when Higgins developed feelings for two women, herself and runner-up JoJo Fletcher, by the end of The Bachelor's 20th season. But the 26-year-old former flight attendant had no idea Higgins had actually fallen in love with Fletcher -- and confessed those feelings to her.
"For a long time, I was really angry for being blindsided," Bushnell told People while promoting her new Freeform reality series with Higgins called Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?, which premieres October 11 at 8PM ET/PT.
"I was heartbroken. And that resentment and anger affected our relationship much longer than it should have."
While filming The Bachelor, Bushnell separated her relationship with Higgins from those he had with other women in order to protect herself and leave jealousy out of the equation.
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"For me, it was pretty difficult because I didn't know about anything that was going on on The Bachelor when it came to his relationship with JoJo. In fact, I did that on purpose," Bushnell revealed. "So coming off the show, I was totally blindsided."
Higgins apparently warned his fiancee once filming wrapped he had confessed his love to Fletcher before the proposal, but even the honesty didn't help Bushnell move on, nor could it prepare her for what was to come once the season began airing on TV.
"There was a part of me that initially felt a little bit, maybe, betrayed or somewhat heartbroken," Bushnell explained.
And even after the finale aired, Higgins and Bushnell were plagued with thoughts and questions about Fletcher, who went on to become The Bachelorette star on ABC.
"We had waited so long to be in public and we were so excited to be engaged," Bushnell told People. "It was hard to move on when everywhere we go, my now-fiance is being asked about an ex and he's being brought up again and again on her season."
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Despite big bumps in the road, Higgins and Bushnell claim their relationship is stronger than ever now, with the help of some church counseling. They're finally embracing a future together and have moved on from the situation with Fletcher, who is currently engaged to her The Bachelorette love, Jordan Rodgers.
"I don't have any resentment," Bushnell insisted. "We've all moved forward and we can all be happy for one another. It feels like a fresh start."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski