The Bachelor featured Clayton Echard kicking Shanae Ankney to the curb and asking Genevieve Parisi if she's a lying actress, Mara Agreat feeling rejected and throwing Sarah Hamrick under the bus, Teddi Wright telling Clayton she's a virgin, two women "falling in love," and two women going home during Monday night's Season 26 episode on ABC.

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Clayton ousted Shanae, a 29-year-old recruiter from Sycamore, OH, during a two-on-one date with Genevieve, a 26-year-old bartender from Los Angeles, CA, in Toronto, Canada.

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Clayton later denied roses to Hunter Haag, a 28-year-old human resources specialist from Charlotte, NC, and Marlena West, a 30-year-old former Olympian from Virginia Beach, VA, at a Rose Ceremony.

The Bachelor broadcast began with Marlena calling Shanae a "chameleon" because she's "able to adapt to her environment" in order to get what she wants, and Mara, a 32-year-old entrepreneur from Collingswood, NJ, noted how she didn't want to see Genevieve be "collateral damage" in Shanae's path.

On the two-on-one date at Niagara Falls, Genevieve planned to focus her attention totally on Clayton and simply get to know him better, but she broke down into tears while talking to him one-on-one.

Genevieve said the process had been difficult for her and being vulnerable is a struggle for her but her feelings for Clayton were growing every day. She apologized for sometimes seeming distant but explained how she was trying her "absolute hardest" to be open and was "all in" to finding love.

But Shanae told the cameras no one should trust Genevieve and she wasn't worried about her place in the competition going forward.

When Clayton sat down with Shanae for a chat, he brought up the "tension" in the house and thanked her for previously apologizing to the group. Shanae assured the Bachelor that everything was finally good in the house but she didn't trust Genevieve "at all."

"Last night I overheard her say that she's wanting to go home and she's wanting to pack her bags," Shanae claimed. "When I woke up, I was expecting to have a one-on-one today. So to see her here, I am a little confused."

Clayton said Genevieve never mentioned wanting to go home, and she accused Genevieve of saying one thing and then doing another.

"To me it's just two-faced and it's a red flag because, you know, I want to find my person just as much as you want to find your person. So to have someone in the house that are giving those red flags and is being fake and dishonest and kind of an actress vibe, like, I don't want them here!" Shanae said.

Clayton was triggered by "actress vibe" and asked Shanae if she believed Genevieve was acting, and Shanae replied, "Well, yeah! Last night, she was just saying that she wanted to go home... and now she's telling you that she wants to be here."

Shanae told Clayton that she felt butterflies for him all the time and in order to fall in love, she was being vulnerable and real with him.

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Shanae started to cry during her speech, saying it was difficult for her to be vulnerable because she's been single for five years and had never fallen in love during her three long-term relationships in the past.

Shanae told Clayton that she was done with him exploring other woman, and Clayton said he saw "a lot" with her and wanted to keep the past in the past.

Shanae then celebrated being able to fake cry in a confessional, saying tears "are hard to come by." She felt confident and secure after their chat and noted how she was already picturing a Fantasy Suite with Clayton.

"Getting this rose tonight is going to feel better than sex!" Shanae gushed.

Clayton confronted both women afterwards and said he had learned a lot from them. Clayton, however, had one question left for Genevieve.

"Are you an actress and are you lying to me?" Clayton asked Genevieve.

Genevieve appeared shocked and couldn't even gather her words other than to say, "Whoa... No, I'm not. I'm not... I'm not seeking anything. I think I've been as open as I can be and as honest as I can be."

Clayton needed to step away from the conversation for a moment, and when he was gone, Shanae admitted to Genevieve how it seemed she had wanted to quit the competition and go home.

Genevieve accused Shanae of being the actress and refused to engage in an argument. Genevieve insisted she was on the show for Clayton and then asked Shanae, "Are you?!"

Shanae said Genevieve had shown no emotion towards Clayton, but Genevieve shut the bachelorette down, saying Shanae hadn't seen any of her interactions with the Bachelor.

Once Clayton returned to the two women, Clayton gave the rose to a person who helped him "see the truth in all of this." With that being said, Clayton offered the rose to Genevieve.

"Shanae, I am so sorry, but I just can't find it in my heart to give you this rose," Clayton announced.

Clayton and Genevieve then continued their date, with Clayton thanking Genevieve for pushing through and giving them a real chance, and Shanae broke down into tears about her elimination, seemingly for real this time.

Meanwhile, Clayton's other bachelorettes celebrated and cheered once they saw a staff member take Shanae's suitcase away. They popped champagne and Gabby Windey, a 30-year-old ICU nurse from Denver, CO, boasted, "We beat out evil!"

"Cheers to finally curing the Herpes outbreak!" Marlena shouted at a champagne toast in their hotel room.

And Hunter joked, "Ding dong, the shrimp is dead!"

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Shanae said she was totally shocked about Clayton's decision, and lamented in her final words, "He chose an actress over me! Like, f-ck that guy! I am pissed, literally blindsided. What does he see in her? It's sickening and disgusting... I hate Clayton!"

Shanae threw some profanity at Clayton and then vented about how she never wanted to see him again.

The next cocktail party started out on a high note, and Clayton realized that the women were happy and in good spirits -- and he found that energy very encouraging.

Sarah, a 23-year-old wealth management advisor from New York, NY, reminded Clayton how her feelings for him were real and she couldn't imagine him having the same connection with anybody else. In fact, she wanted to just fast-forward to hometowns.

Clayton told Rachel Recchia, a 25-year-old flight instructor from Clermont, FL, that what they had was "very, very special" and he always felt comfort in her presence.

Clayton called their romance "serious," and Rachel shared with the cameras how she was "falling in love" with the Bachelor and couldn't remember when she had felt this way before.

"You have no idea how I'm feeling right now," Rachel said as she kissed Clayton.

"I think I have somewhat of an idea, because I am feeling the same way," Clayton replied.

After Hunter taught Clayton a "Carolinas" dance and Teddi Wright, a 24-year-old surgical unit nurse from Highland, CA, played a game of pool with him, Mara surprised Clayton with a little poutin considering they were in Canada.

Once Clayton took one bite, their alone time was interrupted by Serene, and Mara cried about feeling jilted and "so far behind" the other women in the competition, especially since she had yet to receive a one-on-one date with Clayton.

At the Rose Ceremony, Clayton gave out roses to Sarah; Serene Russell, a 26-year-old elementary school teacher from Oklahoma City, OK; Susie Evans, a 28-year-old wedding videographer from Virginia Beach, VA; Teddi; Eliza Isichei, a 25-year-old marketing manager from Berlin, Germany; and Mara.

Gabby, Rachel and Genevieve already had roses from their dates in Toronto earlier in the week.

Marlena and Hunter were therefore eliminated, and both women wished Clayton well on their way out.

"I'm disappointed," Marlena said in her final words. "I'm going to leave here with my head held high. I'm always going to believe there is someone out there for me, because I am the prize and I'm never going to forget that. I'll find love when it's my time."

Clayton then announced to the group they'd be flying halfway around the world and crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the romantic destination of Hvar, Croatia in Europe.

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Mara said she almost "threw in the towel" and was so happy she didn't do that. She hoped to deepen her connection with Clayton and maybe even fall in love in Croatia.

Once everyone got settled in, the women enjoyed cocktails at a local bar, and Clayton's one-on-one date started right away.

Clayton asked Teddi -- who had been "struggling" in the process and allegedly running out of steam -- out on the date, and the pair explored Hvar together. They walked in the rain together, ate ice cream, and took in the sights, and Teddi said Clayton made her feel special.

Mara was definitely disappointed and found it discouraging to miss out on yet another date, and she believed Clayton was focused on women who weren't wife material.

That evening, Teddi revealed to Clayton that she is a virgin who's waiting to have sex with a man for the first time when she's in love. Teddi had never been in love before, which seemed to worry the Bachelor a little bit.

Teddi explained how in past relationships, she put walls so she wouldn't get hurt.

Clayton asked Teddi to be fully vulnerable with him and let her guard down, and she said being in love meant feeling safe with a man and trusting him, and she apparently did feel that way with Clayton. Teddi said she felt a lot of hope in what she could have with Clayton.

"It's exciting to know I could be the first person that Teddi falls in love with. I think I could be her first of many things, and I think it would be very special," Clayton shared.

"But it carries a lot of weight, especially now. Knowing all of that, I want to make sure with her that I'm 100 percent in."

Clayton decided to give Teddi a rose, and she said she could see herself falling in love with Clayton. She said she had never felt this way before.

Meanwhile, a Date Card arrived for the women with the following names on it: Serene, Rachel, Susie, Gabby, Eliza, Genevieve, and Mara. That meant Sarah would be getting her second one-on-one date of the season, which left Sarah crying and speechless with joy.

"It's just hard to be hopeful in this moment. He's literally going for the youngest girl in this house, who I couldn't imagine is actually ready to get engaged," Mara lamented in tears.

"I have done so much, I have given so much -- and what has it gotten me?!"

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The next day, the ladies on the group date walked in on knights fighting each other with swords. The bachelorettes were challenged to dress up like warriors in battle and complete a series of tasks to show their loyalty, honor and how they were prepared to fight for Clayton.

The women had to show off their physical strength, eat "atrocious-looking food," according to Serene -- including pig brains and liver -- and deliver heartfelt speeches while kneeling in front of Clayton.

Serene downed some of the food like a champion and told Clayton that she had an open heart and pushed herself for him.

But Mara hoped to top everyone by reciting an impressive poem. She said, "I ate the food and I drank the ale, if we go to battle, I will impale. For a happy life, you must pick the best wife. If you pick the right one, your search will be done."

She added, "I know you're ready to get down on one knee and these other peasants got nothing on me. I cook, I clean and I'm great in bed. Come on, Clayton, use your head!"

However, Serene was crowned the ultimate knight and Clayton's queen, and Mara said she actually felt like a peasant for the first -- and last -- time in her life.

At the afterparty, Clayton asked Rachel if she felt ready to introduce him to her family, and she said he clearly had no idea how she was feeling about him, even though all the signs were there.

"I am falling for you -- so hard," Rachel told Clayton. "And I'm terrified because I don't know what's going to happen... I truly want you to know that I don't have a doubt in my mind that I would love to bring you home to my family."

Clayton said he felt like he was on top of the world with Rachel, but Mara wished Clayton would see what she was bringing to the table. Mara boasted about being ready for marriage, a husband and children, and she was afraid he was focused on the younger women.

Mara therefore decided to tell Clayton how she was feeling and be totally upfront with him. Mara said it was difficult not to receive a one-on-one and he was giving out roses and one-on-ones to people who didn't reflect Clayton's alleged desire to get engaged and find a wife.

"The women that you're directing your attention to... Some of them have been openly vocal [about not being ready for an engagement]. And others, it's just about age," Mara revealed.

"Someone blatantly said [a few weeks ago], 'I couldn't picture myself being engaged in two months. It's crazy and it's fun and I love the idea, but I couldn't even picture myself being engaged."

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Clayton pointed out how Sarah was one of the youngest girls in the house, and Mara admitted how she didn't think Sarah was ready for what Clayton was looking for. Clayton promised to pay attention and do his due diligence, and he said he appreciated Mara's honesty.

Clayton began to worry if some of the women, namely Sarah, were just on the show to have a good time.

Clayton ended up giving the group-date rose to a woman who had opened his eyes that night and left her mark on him, and that person was Rachel -- not Mara, who complained about being exhausted and defeated. Mara was tired of giving and "getting nothing in return."

That evening, Clayton found a note under his door that resembled a Date Card and read, "Clayton, meet me at the clock tower."

Clayton was shocked and ecstatic to see Susie there waiting for him and smiling him. The couple embraced and Clayton clapped, "Oh, I am so happy!"

Susie was apparently watching connections deepen around her and she was starting to feel insecure about losing Clayton or losing the chance to be with him. Susie said Clayton was the man she had been dreaming of, and so she tried to get their romance back on track.

Susie confessed she had put up walls in fear of getting heartbroken but she was going to open up more going forward. She told the Bachelor, "I do feel as though I am falling in love with you."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you just said that! It's a phenomenal thing!" Clayton gushed, adding how this was the happiest he had been so far in his journey.

Clayton said he could envision himself falling in love with Susie and the process was definitely working for him.

Later on, Clayton had a dinner date with Sarah, and Clayton was trying to protect his heart so that he wouldn't fall in love and leave the show crushed and empty-handed.

Clayton told Sarah how he'd like to get down on one knee and propose marriage at the end of the show, and so he shared how it had been brought to his attention Sarah may not be ready to get engaged.

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"Things are becoming serious, and so do you see it as a very clear possibility you could be engaged at the end of this? Clayton bluntly asked.

"I'm very shocked by this. I'm trying to not let it rattle me. It's opposite of what I've said, and that's because I do really see it going somewhere and I do really see a future with you," Sarah explained, fighting back the tears.

Sarah became increasingly more vocal as she spoke and defended herself. Sarah said during Week 2, she could see herself getting engaged to Clayton even though it sounded "crazy" at the time.

Sarah insisted she had been nothing but honest with Clayton and he was really special to her, and she assured him, "I absolutely see myself being engaged at the end of this... That is why I am here... and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready for that and if I didn't see that with you."

Clayton apologized for getting Sarah so upset and stepped away for a moment to think things through, which left Sarah bawling her eyes out at the table.

Sarah could barely speak and cried, "What the f-ck?! It's clearly someone upset who's questioning their relationship and feels the need to tear down someone that seemingly has a good relationship. It's a b-tch-ass move. Why would you do that to me?!"

Sarah yelled out, "What the actual f-ck?!... It's complete bullsh-t... It's like a Hail Mary, like, 'Oh, I'm going home this week and so I might as well throw this girl under a bus who's getting her second one-on-one." 

Sarah said she had gone out of her way to make the other ladies feel supported and worthy and so she couldn't help but feel angry and slighted.

Sarah explained to Clayton how she was so upset because she didn't want this allegation to affect their relationship or change Clayton's mind about her and her sincerity, but Clayton promised Sarah that he really cared for her and knew she had the best of intentions.

Sarah cried in Clayton's arms and admitted she felt "scared," but Clayton said he believed Sarah with all of his heart.

Clayton then followed his heart and gave Sarah a rose, and Sarah pointed out how the "liar" would be disappointed because her "weak" and unconvincing plan had backfired and it would probably take her down.

"I'm just so thankful that the truth prevailed and the liars will go home. I'm going to find a vase for my rose, and you can book your ticket home!" Sarah bragged in a confessional, before kissing her rose.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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