Married at First Sight featured two couples getting divorced and two couples staying together on a very shocking and explosive "Decision Day," during which Amber Bowles angrily confronted Matthew Gwynne for cheating on her and Iris Caldwell had her heart broken by Keith Manley.

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Married at First Sight's ninth season stars Matt, a 32-year-old professional basketball player, and Amber, a 27-year-old eighth grade English teacher; Iris, a 27-year-old who works for a nonprofit, and Keith, a 27-year-old high school basketball coach; Jamie Thompson, a 35-year-old technical consultant, and Elizabeth Bice, a 30-year-old account executive; and Gregory Okotie, a 32-year-old math learning center owner, and Deonna McNeill, a 30-year-old operations manager.

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The couples were paired by Married at First Sight experts Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Dr. Viviana Coles.

The Married at First Sight broadcast began with the four couples trying to determine whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce now that "Decision Day" had arrived.

None of the spouses appeared completely confident or 100 percent sure about what do, as every person was thinking about the highs and lows of his or her eight-week marriage as well as what the future might hold.

Deonna and Greg decide to remain married

For Deonna and Greg, this was the first time in eight weeks they had woken up in bed apart from each other, and the same situation applied to Iris and Keith.

Deonna was afraid Greg would overthink things and make a decision "based on a forecast" rather than how he was really feeling that day.

Greg and Deonna met with the experts first, and Deonna said she and her husband had "quite an adventure" and she was feeling "alright."

Greg acknowledged he knew marriage was going to be hard and he might fall in and out of love, but he had learned patience and understanding. As for Deonna, she admitted it was tough to feel forced to talk about her feelings and emotions when she wasn't ready.

Deonna told Greg that she had been working hard on emotional intimacy because she didn't want physical intimacy to cloud her judgment. She felt "apprehension" because she didn't know what Greg was thinking.

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When asked whether he'd like to stay married or get a divorce, Greg told his wife, "I was just hoping my wife would be vulnerable as much as me, that she would be committed... and here for the right reason. One of the doubts I had was that we would be stagnant and we wouldn't grow... I was worried she would clam up and that would be it."

He added, "But I have seen so much growth in her over the past eight weeks, and I have decided to stay married."

Deonna told her husband in turn, after a seemingly long pause, "I have decided to stay married."

Dr. Pepper gushed about how the experts couldn't have been more pleased with this couple, who truly embraced the expert.

Deonna then said she was "growing in love with" Greg, but she wasn't quite there yet. Greg said he was growing in love with Deonna as well and the first time he'd say it to her would come naturally and be genuine.

Deonna said her marriage felt like "a fairy tale" and Greg complemented her perfectly. She was excited about her future and noted Greg was everything she had wanted. Greg felt the same way, that he was "lucky and blessed" to have found his partner.

Keith shocks the experts and decides to divorce Iris

Iris and Keith met with the experts next. Keith said while he and Iris were "very compatible" and she has a lot of traits he admired, they also had "a lot of differences" he wasn't sure they'd be able to sort out.

Keith was "very, very anxious" and said he wasn't leaning towards anything. Keith planned to enter the room and just speak from his heart. His mother also advised him to follow his gut and make a choice that would make him happy.

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Iris previously revealed she wanted to stay married to Keith and had been hoping he felt the same way. She saw so much potential in her marriage and would could happen between them in the future.

Iris told the experts they did an amazing job in matching two people who had really connected, and Keith said Iris is "amazing" as a person -- both "expressive and compassionate." Keith said they had grown a lot but intimacy between them was "a little tricky."

Greg therefore had to approach intimacy in a different way than he was used to, but he insisted he wasn't sexually frustrated.

"But I know that it's definitely been an obstacle," Keith said.

Iris felt like Keith had shut down when it comes to physical intimacy, but Keith assured his wife he was "100 percent attracted" to Iris.

Once Iris predictably revealed her decision about wanting to remain married because Keith had been such a gentleman and great teammate, Keith dropped a bombshell.

"So, um, I mean, going into this, I didn't know who I was going to be married to, and I've had a lot of concerns. You've just been nothing but supportive whether it's coming to my grandmother's funeral to you coming to meet my family and spending time with my family, I do just want to let you know how grateful I am that I was able to meet somebody who has pushed me in so many different ways," Keith explained.

But he added, "Right now, I do think that we are in different places individually. Um, um. And, um, for that reason I would like to get a divorce."

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The experts appeared shocked and saddened by Keith's news, and Iris tried not to start crying. She said she didn't understand what Keith meant by them being in different places.

Keith therefore explained relationship experience plays a big role in marriage and she didn't have enough of that. He just wasn't sure Iris is the right person for him although they had grown so close.

"I guess I'm at peace with it because it's something that I can't change. I can't change how many relationships I've been in to distinguish if I am a viable wife or not," Iris said in tears.

Pastor Cal, however, assured Iris that she's a viable wife. Keith expressed regret for hurting Iris, saying she had done absolutely nothing wrong in their marriage and he didn't even have anything negative to say about her.

"I am disappointed -- a little bit stunned actually... but you have to do what you think you have to do," Dr. Pepper said.

Dr. Viviana admitted her heart was "broken" for Iris and she could only hope Keith had made his decision based on his true feelings.

Iris wanted her marriage to work so bad and said she had put her all into the experiment. She admitted dealing with divorce was going to be difficult because she had some "amazing" times with Keith.

On Iris' way out, Pastor Cal assured her that she is worthy and should never question herself.

Amber confronts Matt and then opts for divorce

It then became time for Amber and Matt's "Decision Day." Amber was feeling anxious and said she could "barely breathe" because her decision would affect the rest of her life. While she had good times with Matt, Amber confessed it had been the hardest eight weeks of her life.

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Matt said he had developed "a really strong friendship" with Amber and they had a lot in common, but he wasn't sure that was enough to maintain a healthy and happy marriage.

Amber planned to confront Matt about his attempts to pursue other women, and she found that the most nerve-wracking part about "Decision Day." She was nervous and fearful because even though Matt had hurt her, she still had strong feelings for him.

"I don't know why I care so much about him; I just do care about him. I spent the better part of two months with him even though he wasn't there all the time. I revealed a lot to him that I never thought I would to anyone," Amber told the cameras.

Matt said in a confessional he and Amber had "so much in common" and they made a great team, but he couldn't predict what Amber was going to say.

When the pair sat down with the experts, Matt said the best part of being married was not being alone and always have a friend around "to do life with." And Amber joked it was watching NBA games with someone, as well as their romantic honeymoon away from reality.

Amber said "normal life" with Matt was hard because he "didn't want to come home a lot" and that caused a lot of friction. Matt, however, explained he stayed out overnight multiple times because he found the experiment stressful at times and creating space is just how he dealt with it.

"I was having some pretty big doubts at that time. I even thought about just walking away," Matt admitted.

"So, in my mind, I'm thinking, 'I'm going to stick it out and see if we can grow into something that can last forever.' So that's probably not the best way of dealing with things."

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But then Amber grew a backbone and accused Matt of simply not wanting to come home.

"Where there's smoke, there's fire. I keep hearing all these things... Like, I got humiliated at school. All these teachers pulled me into a classroom and a teacher was like, 'Look at what your husband is doing!' He was trying to get this girl to go on a date with him that he met at a bar that Saturday night," Amber shared.

"He met her that night and was, like, messaging her. And then my best friend Raven saw him talking to a girl at a bar for like a long, long time and then he left with the girl."

Amber began crying and told Matt that she saw the timestamp as well as his face on the screenshots of the messages.

"Looking back, I think there was a time where I felt like we were just friends, but I also was holding out hope," Matt attempted to explain.

The experts appeared taken aback and called Matt out.

"What kind of constraint or restraint did you not expect from yourself. Holding out hope while you're dating?!" Dr. Pepper vented. "You set her up to be humiliated. I don't understand why you're letting yourself off the hook here."

As Amber wiped her tears away, Matt apologized to Amber for behaving that way. Matt called his actions "inexcusable" and told Amber it wasn't her fault and she didn't do anything wrong.

"We started out so well, I thought we could work and maybe get to that point again, or even better. I thought we had potential. I think we still have potential. I think there's a reason why you guys matched us. We've got so much in common," Matt explained.

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When it became time for the spouses to reveal their decisions, Amber told Matt that he didn't put his heart into the marriage, nor did he give his full effort.

Amber told Matt that he's creative, athletic, artsy and philosophical -- all of which she liked about him.

"On paper, you're my perfect match and you're who I want," Amber said.

"Same," Matt replied.

But then Amber admitted, "I want a divorce," and Matt agreed parting ways would be "the best option."

Amber said she deserved to be pursued. Matt had apparently told her that he didn't feel a spark or connection, but then she asked him why he didn't walk away when he realized that was the case.

"You could've saved me a whole lot of heartache. Because I'm really hurting right now," Amber noted. "And I'm feeling humiliated and I'm feeling like I'm not enough because of how you acted, because of the choices you made. I wish you would have walked away instead of hurting me."

Dr. Pepper and the experts wished Amber and Matt a better and brighter future, but she was not happy with Matt at all.

"Matt has been ungentlemanly, unkind and unfaithful. I'm relieved actually that Amber and Matt both said they wanted a divorce," Dr. Pepper told the cameras.

"We believe in marriage, but we believe in really good marriages when people care about each other and have each other's back and fall in love... In this case, I don't think that was possible."

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Matt claimed he felt bad about embarrassing Amber and said one thing he learned from Married at First Sight is that maybe he's not ready for commitment.

"I definitely regret doing this -- one hundred percent," Matt said in a confessional.

Amber was proud of herself for finally confronting Matt. Amber acknowledged it was difficult but needed, and she actually felt more empowered and stronger than ever. Amber was well aware she deserves much more from a lifelong partner.

Elizabeth and Jamie decide not to divorce

Elizabeth and Jamie's "Decision Day" was up next. Elizabeth wasn't sure whether she could "find peace" living with Jamie since they had so many volatile arguments, but Jamie thought they had a great connection and awesome chemistry.

Elizabeth told the cameras it was the hardest decision she's ever had to make in her life.

Jamie said he and Elizabeth learned lessons from everything they had gone through together and they were trying to become better versions of themselves. Elizabeth agreed marriage had been a challenge, with a lot of conflict, and she had to work on herself a lot.

The experts pointed out, however, Elizabeth and Jamie always rebounded after big fights, and Jamie pointed out it's because he and Elizabeth had such a great time together when things were good.

"[But] it really hurts my feelings when Jamie lashes out at me and when he leaves," Elizabeth noted.

"I didn't really want to leave. I didn't think that was the right thing to do, but I didn't know what to do," confessed Jamie, who once left Elizabeth for four days straight. "Things had gotten really toxic."

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Elizabeth said Jamie didn't think they were having enough sex, and Jamie admitted he didn't love the sexual relationship they had since there was a lot of "push and pull" and he often felt rejected.

"It's been nothing but a contention point for the both of us over the last eight weeks," Jamie said.

Elizabeth argued, however, there are many more aspects to having a healthy marriage than just sex.

Elizabeth then told Jamie there were a lot of reasons that motivated her to stay with him, including how he's a great conversationalist and tended to be supportive of her.

"I think we have a lot of really positive things to bring to each other's life. But you've done some pretty F'ed up things, and you've called me some pretty choice words," Elizabeth explained.

"I think I would be really crazy if -- I didn't stay with you. So I want to stay in this marriage."

Jamie seemed happy and relieved. But when it became time for him to reveal his decision, he paused for quite a while.

Jamie said their relationship had been a roller coaster but there was so much good that helped him overcome the bad.

"I see two people who love each other but just sometimes don't know how to love each other or love each other in the right way. I don't want this roller coaster of really highs... or down here on the bottom when we're questioning the marriage," Jamie shared.

"So for me, it's like, do you stay and just keep letting the marriage deteriorate or do you step away?"

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Elizabeth vented about how Jamie was freaking her out, but then he came to the following conclusion: "I just think that there's too much good and there's too much positivity. There's too much to throw away, and so, my answer is, 'Yes.' I want to stay married."

Elizabeth gushed about how the situation was so cool and great.

"I think Jamie is absolutely crazy, but he's my kind of crazy!" Elizabeth gushed, before Jamie told the cameras Elizabeth is "the love of my life."

The following day, all four couples gathered together at a cookout to share their "Decision Day" experiences.

Everyone learns everyone else's decisions

Jamie and Elizabeth were "clicking as husband and wife" and opted to cook for the group, and Deonna and Greg were the first couple to arrive at their cookout.

Greg was "stunned" Elizabeth and Jamie's commitment to their marriage outweighed all of the trouble they had, but Elizabeth and Jamie didn't seem surprised Greg and Deonna opted to stay together.

Before Iris and Keith showed up, they were shown packing up their belongings at their shared apartment. Keith said he was leaving the marriage with "a heavy heart" because he genuinely cared about Iris, and she reminded Keith that they'd never sleep in the same bed or wake up next to each other again.

Iris was doing okay, but she still felt very sad and confused. She insisted to Keith she'd "be good," but both spouses were clearly upset about the results of their marriage.

Amber and Matt were also documented packing their bags. Amber said she was going to miss Matt and having a companion, but Matt seemed distant. At one point, Matt just tossed all of his photos with Amber into the trash.

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"Can you just not be awkward with me?" Amber asked, to which Matt gave no reply.

Matt said Matt throwing the photos away was very symbolic of how Matt had treated their marriage. Amber seemed to regret not walking away from Matt earlier.

"I let Matt behave in a way that would not have been acceptable in any other relationship I've ever had," Amber cried to the cameras.

Amber reveals Matt's cheating to the other girls 

Amber arrived at the cookout before Matt and shared with the girls how her "Decision Day" had gone down.

"On the childhood trip home -- on our trip to his house, he was texting a girl... We had the screenshots. A teacher in my school is friends with her," Amber revealed.

"Gag!" Elizabeth vented.

"And now he's treating me like he hates me, and I'm like, 'I get it. I told on you,'" Amber said.

Deonna said it sounded like Matt was out there sleeping with other people and then Amber confirmed, "And he got caught by multiple people!"

Amber explained Matt had led her to believe things were progressing and going and then the script got flipped.

"Maybe he wasn't feeling there was a spark the whole time but he was lying?! I don't know," Amber questioned.

Amber added that Raven caught Matt talking to a girl at a bar "for the better part of an hour."

"Once the crowd dwindled down, they left together," Amber said.

Deonna noted, "It doesn't matter if you did anything or not. The fact he left the bar with a girl, you're a married man."

Deonna said her blood pressure was rising because of the way Matt had treated Amber. She wished Matt had the courage to just tell Amber, "Hey, I'm not attracted to you."

Once Iris arrived at the cookout alone, she told the girls that Keith would tell them about the outcome of their marriage.

Matt is confronted by Amber and the MAFS cast

Matt showed up at the party next, and then the girls grilled him about his behavior. Greg and Jamie were "on edge" for Matt right off the bat.

Amber quickly confronted Matt, saying she was happy they were moving out of their apartment but it seemed like he "hated" her the whole time.

Matt said there was nothing left to say, telling Amber, "Chapter closed."

"Yeah, but that hurts. It just feels like you never cared. That's what it feels like right now, like, your coldness," Amber said.

Matt brushed off Amber's concerns in a seemingly smug manner by repeating, "Okay," and then Amber pointed out she deserved more.

"I hope you find that one day," Matt said.

Elizabeth asked Matt why he had to try to cheat within the eight-week experiment because "no respectable person" would do that "on this earth." Elizabeth said Matt's actions were flat out "mean."

"Yeah, we were married but, you know, we just met and I felt like she was just a friend. I went looking for something else elsewhere," Matt explained.

Jamie was disappointed to hear Matt talk about his marriage like it was a basketball game that didn't work out.

Matt said he didn't bow out of the relationship early because he thought there was potential to fix things, but then Iris yelled at Matt for making Amber feel broken and not good enough.

"I've already moved on," Matt told the cameras afterward. "I'm not going to sit there and argue... This chapter is closed in my book. They can say what they want but I'm going to go on and live my life."

Matt left the cookout early, and then the attention shifted to Keith and Iris. Keith explained Iris had decided to stay married but he thought it would be best "to take a step away."

Elizabeth was confused and surprised because she thought they were so cute together. Elizabeth had hope for them and thought they were going to do so well.

Keith suggests he and Iris could get back together

Keith said he and Iris were still close but were just in different points in their lives.

"We can walk away from this and still be friends," Iris shared. "I'll still be like, 'Call me if you need me.'"

Jamie then asked if there was any hope for the pair to reconcile in the future, which prompted Iris to throw the heat on Keith since she had wanted to stay married.

"For me, I don't know what the future holds, so I couldn't count it out," Keith responded.

Iris told the cameras that if Keith could come back and show improvement, then maybe they could have that conversation because she still had feelings for him.

"I'm looking forward to seeing where things go. Who knows," Iris said.

No one seemed to have any regrets about having participated in the Married at First Sight process except for Matt.

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Married at First Sight's ninth-season reunion show will air next Wednesday night on Lifetime. The couples were reunited two months after "Decision Day" filmed to provide updates on their relationships or single lives.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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