'The Bachelor' recap: Clayton Echard dumps Susie Evans after she considers quitting because he slept with Gabby and Rachel

The Bachelor featured Clayton Echard putting Susie Evans on blast and eliminating her after she threatened to quit over his decision to sleep with both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia in the Fantasy Suites.


Clayton essentially beat Susie -- the woman he claimed to be "the most in love with" of his Final 3 bachelorettes -- to the punch and determined he was "done" with her during their Fantasy-Suite date in Iceland once she expressed how she couldn't see herself moving forward in the process due to the fact he had been willing to jeopardize their strong relationship by sleeping with both Gabby and Rachel.

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Clayton scolded Susie for having "invalidated" their relationship, and she cried in her final words, "Oh my God. I just thought he would've had more compassion for me in the end, to be honest. Regardless of what kind of love [we had] at this point, I just thought we would've been better at getting through that conversation kindly."

Clayton griped following Susie's departure, "Everything is invalidated to me right now. My heart's not in it anymore. My heart is out; It's out! It's done. It's over. It's over."


The Bachelor broadcast began with Clayton and his Final 3 bachelorettes arriving in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the overnight Fantasy Suite dates. Since Clayton thought he was falling in love with three women -- but "in love" with Susie -- he hoped the Fantasy Suite dates would bring him some clarity.

"This is the perfect week to open up and be vulnerable. I'm done holding back," Clayton noted.

Gabby, Susie and Rachel had to share the same living space, and there was an awkward tension in the air with moments of uncomfortable silence.

Gabby looked forward to exploring more of her relationship with Clayton and having him all to herself for a full night, but Rachel received the first overnight date, and she was convinced what she had with The Bachelor star was incredibly special.

Susie struggled with the idea of Clayton sharing intimate time with other women, because in her mind, she was going to end up with him at the Final Rose Ceremony.


"I can see myself getting engaged to this man, I can see myself having a family with him -- but I'm hoping that he takes physical intimacy as seriously as I do," Susie said in a confessional.

"Sex is incredibly important in a relationship, but it's something that I only do with people I have some form of commitment with. If I find out he's falling in love with other women or he has become physically intimate with another woman, that would be devastating. This week seems impossible, and I don't know how to get through this."

For their date, Clayton and Rachel took in the sites via helicopter, and Clayton gushed about their "explosive" connection. He decided to let his walls down and "go deeper" with Rachel so she wouldn't lose any of her strong feelings for him.

Clayton and Rachel then went 400 feet down inside of a volcano, and he gushed about how Rachel showed him so much love. Rachel, however, needed some reassurance and validation from Clayton in order to move into a Fantasy Suite that night.

"I love Clayton. I could definitely see him being my future husband," Rachel said in a confessional, adding however, that she needed to have "a two-way relationship."


Meanwhile, Gabby said she wanted Clayton to explore his other relationships and then hopefully choose her in the end for all the right reasons, but Susie said she didn't feel the same way and was envious of the idea of Clayton giving Rachel some clarity that evening.

Over a romantic dinner that evening, Susie told Clayton how she had never felt for a man like this before. Rachel said she was so happy and excited after her hometown but she nearly had a panic attack during the Rose Ceremony because she couldn't read him.

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Rachel admitted she was "terrified" in that moment and felt heartbreak before he even gave out his final rose for the night. Rachel hated the fact she didn't know where Clayton stood with her.

And so Clayton decided to unleash what had been weighing on him. Clayton said he had come to terms with what he was feeling and wished he had told her this news earlier.


"I'll just come out and say, like, I'm falling in love with you. I am, and I have been," Clayton shared.

"I realized I've been feeling this way for a couple of weeks, if not more. But part of me was scared because I haven't felt those feelings in five or six years since my last relationship, so thank you for being patient with me."

Rachel felt completely relieved and incredible, and she told the cameras she felt like she was dreaming to know all of her feelings were reciprocated. Rachel therefore determined she was "ready for whatever happens tonight."

Rachel accepted a key to the Fantasy Suite with confidence and had no reservations about being physically intimate with Clayton that night. She predicted the Fantasy Suite would "change everything" for them.

As footage showed Clayton putting Rachel down onto a bed and kissing her, Susie explained to the cameras how Clayton's intentions this week would be extremely important.


"If Clayton thinks it's me at the end of this and then proceeds to sleep with another woman anyways, I would have a really hard time moving forward with him," Susie said.

The next morning, Clayton shared how he and Rachel had talked about so much and got closer than ever. He said his heart was telling him that he was "in love" with Rachel, who noted how intimacy is important in a relationship and it was a good night.

As Clayton left the Fantasy Suite and a "perfect" date, Rachel yelled from a rooftop, "Hey, I love you!"

"I love you, too, Rachel -- all the time! I'm going to miss you," Clayton shouted in return, before telling the cameras that he really meant those and there was potential to be in love with all three women.

Once Rachel returned to her hotel suite with the girls, she apologized for it being awkward and added, "I am sorry in advance."

Susie could tell that Rachel looked happy and she feared they had slept together. Susie worried her romance with Clayton was too good to be true. She wanted Clayton to turn out to be the man she had been dreaming about.


Gabby's date was up next, and she and Clayton explored the beach in a dune buggy. The pair had a slow-burning relationship compared to the Bachelor's other two relationships, but Clayton said he could see an upward trajectory with her.

Gabby said she had so much fun acting like a kid with Clayton and she felt so free and at ease with him. She loved Clayton's "cute" adventurous side, and the couple seemed to have a blast.

Gabby shared how she was ready for the next step in their relationship and she wanted to be with him at the end of this. She admitted the idea of ending up heartbroken at the end of the process was "scary as hell" but she trusted him.

Gabby explained how she wanted Clayton to explore his options, and with that, he chose her. And so she told Clayton that she was "ready," and Clayton was glad Gabby was being so emotional and he was seeing more sides to her than just her humor.

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"I'm not going to fight it, I'm falling in love with her," Clayton noted.


That night, Gabby was hoping to hear some words of affirmation from Clayton, especially since they had such a wonderful hometown date and her loved ones like and approved of him.

Clayton thanked Gabby for loving him, and he confirmed how they had something special and she allowed him to get there as well.

"I've realized I'm falling in love with you. I am, I really am," Clayton shared, adding how he had been holding onto those feelings out of fear.

Clayton thought the moment was beautiful, and he gushed about being extremely happy before Gabby accepted a key to the Fantasy Suite. Gabby said it felt like they were in the right place at the right time, and she noted how they had connected on a whole new level.

Meanwhile, Susie confessed she was "spiraling emotionally and thinking about the worst-case scenario." She worried about Clayton falling in love or being physically intimate with another woman, and she said she couldn't grasp the concept of it.

Susie hoped Clayton was going to be on the same page about the meaning of sex, and she admitted it would suck to not end up with Clayton because she valued and cherished him and had genuine love in her heart for him.


The morning after Gabby and Clayton's Fantasy Suite date, Gabby suggested being intimate with Clayton didn't feel like the first time with somebody knew. She said there was a comfortability about it, and Clayton noted how she had made falling in love with her easy.

Clayton also said it was hard to leave Gabby that morning, and on his way out, he yelled, "I just want you to know that I am falling in love and it feels so good!"

When Gabby reunited with the other women, her hair was a bit messy and the girls noticed it was clearly from sleeping in a bed with Clayton. Susie acknowledged how she was "freaking out" and in the dark -- and she hated that feeling.

After his first two dates, Clayton realized he was going to shatter one of his Final 3 women, and he cried about the idea of hurting someone he was in love with.

"I wanted to fall in love; I just didn't want to fall in love with multiple people," Clayton cried. "I told Rachel that I was in love, and I told Gabby that I was in love with her."

Susie began her date with Clayton in "a dark place," and she said she just wanted to get to the bottom of everything. She had been struggling emotionally but didn't want to assume anything, and so she hoped to be comfortable and relax that day.


On a windy day, Clayton and Susie enjoyed a day at one of Iceland's hot springs, but they had to get doused in cold water before warming up. Susie appeared uptight and nervous, and it took her some time to settle into the date and let loose.

The pair ended up rubbing salt on each other and kissed underneath a waterfall, and Susie was relieved to feel Clayton's energy. She felt so giddy and reassured in her connection with Clayton that day. Susie determined that she'd be "all in" to their relationship.

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Clayton shared in a confessional of Susie, "I always want to be next to her, and you can't hide that. My love for her is on another level... My expectations are through the roof for tonight."

Clayton added, "There is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest night of this entire journey."

At dinner that evening, Susie had questions about where Clayton stood with the other women, and she said there were a couple of things she wasn't ready to compromise on.


Clayton told Susie how he realized their relationship was very serious and he realized on the night of her hometown date that he was falling in love with her. Clayton said Susie made him feel a way he hadn't felt in so long.

"It's no longer about me falling in love with you. I am in love with you, and I've wanted to tell you," Clayton told Susie.

"Oh my gosh!" Susie replied in shock.

Susie said she really appreciated hearing that and adored Clayton, but there were things she needed to know -- and wouldn't compromise on --considering an engagement could possibly happen in one week.

Susie then asked Clayton if he felt love for and slept with one or both of the other women, and she admitted, "It would be impossible to move forward to an engagement if I'm sharing your love with somebody else. I don't think I would be comfortable."

Clayton appeared shocked since Susie had previously given him the green light to explore his other relationships. Clayton thought Susie wanted him to pick her for her.


"To answer your question, yes, I have slept with someone else here," Clayton revealed. "And yes, I expressed feelings to someone else of falling in love."

Susie explained how those were the two things that really bothered her and if he was truly in love with her, it wouldn't have made sense for him to sleep with somebody else. Susie said she wouldn't feel comfortable continuing a relationship with Clayton under these circumstances.

However, Clayton assured Susie that he was feeling different feelings for different people and the love wasn't the same.

"The way I feel for you is way different than I feel for somebody else," Clayton said. "And I can promise you that it's very special where we're at."

But Susie reasoned, "I thought, 'Certainly if he knows or hopes or has an inkling or feeling that it's Susie,' I hoped you would protect me in that. And I know that's maybe cutting your experience short, but I didn't want to ask you to do that."

Susie said she had hoped Clayton would make the decision on his own to not be intimate with other people if he could see it being them together in the end, but Clayton insisted their connection was real and authentic and he didn't want her to give up and walk away on him.


"That's the worst thing I could've heard. I have such strong feelings for you, like, such strong feelings! And I can tell you right now that I am the most in love with you and felt like, 'This could be it,'" Clayton said.

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Susie said hearing all of this made her feel worse and more sad because she really didn't want to give him an ultimatum or say, "I can't move forward if you sleep with other people," because she didn't want him to shut down to other women.

However, Susie said it was "heartbreaking" to hear and it sucked. She said she believed he's an incredible person who had shocked her and been wonderful.

"But this is something very big to me," Susie explained. "And I don't think I can get past those things. I just don't think I can."

Clayton appeared defeated and upset, saying in reply, "I did what I did, but had I known how important that was to you -- that that was literally a dealbreaker -- I would've changed the way that I approached things because I know what we have. I'm sorry I went and did that."


Clayton asked for Susie's forgiveness because he didn't want her to throw something away that he felt "so sure" about.

"I do love you... and I would hope what we have is something worth fighting for," Clayton noted.

Susie said she didn't want to have to share Clayton's heart and his love, and while Clayton said he could close other women off, she still felt like she deserves a man who would've thought through that.

Clayton explained a relationship isn't easy and should be worth fighting for. Clayton begged Susie to work through the hard times with him, and she said she felt "terrible."

Clayton pleaded for Susie to stay and talk things through with him, and she agreed they had something special and so she felt "so confused."

"I couldn't have imagined a scenario in which you become physically intimate with any other person and it's me at the end," Susie explained.


Clayton said he was having feelings of love with another person and so he slept with her because he loved her and wanted to see how their physical connection was.

"If you're in love with somebody, then you would explore that," Clayton said. "It wasn't like I was just sleeping with somebody because I'm like, 'You're here, so I'm just going to sleep with them!'"

Clayton then admitted he had slept with "both" Gabby and Rachel because he had somehow fallen in love with three women and it made "zero sense" to him. Clayton said he didn't understand how that was possible and he cried about it but he was determined to push forward and end up with the best person for him.

Susie reiterated how she didn't think she could move forward with Clayton, who admitted this conversation was "shattering" him after everything they had gone through.

"If you felt this strongly about this, why wouldn't you have told me early on? You let us get all the way to this point and then you just don't tell me until now -- after the fact -- and you say I'm not willing to forgive you and you can't move on?'" Clayton asked in disbelief.

"How could you do that?!"


Susie said she felt confused and didn't know what to think, and Clayton became increasingly more angry and frustrated. Susie then left the dinner table and lamented, "I can't."

Susie told the producers that she believed everything Clayton was saying but she didn't know what to do.

Clayton then stormed off, telling producers this was exactly what he was afraid of and he didn't believe in anything anymore.

"Everything is literally invalidated," Clayton complained to the cameras as Susie attempted to compose herself.

The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer then met up with Clayton, who said he was "absolutely blown away" by Susie's behavior.

Susie explained to a producer, "Maybe I'm asking too much, but at the same time, I'm not willing to accept it. I know that's the truth for me, but it feels so awful. I feel so sh-tty right now."


Clayton hoped Susie would come back and talk things out with him, but he confessed she had "torn me apart" and "completely destroyed me."

Susie asked Clayton to go back inside so they could continue their conversation, and Clayton obliged.

Susie said she felt "awful" and hearing Clayton's perspective on everything made this even harder for her. Susie said she probably should've had the conversation about what sex means to her earlier on.

"I don't feel like I can leave here with you," Susie said. "But I don't know what to do right now."

"What do you mean? You made your mind up," Clayton interjected.

Clayton had been hoping Susie would give him another chance, but Susie said her hope had been that he wouldn't have done that earlier in the week and they could leave the show together feeling complete happiness and clarity.


"[I thought], 'There's no way this dude would compromise what we have in any way,' and that's how I thought I was going to know at the end of this [that we're meant to be]," Susie explained.

Susie said she felt "sh-tty" and "awful," like she had messed everything up and ruined their relationship.

"I don't know how I could've done it better, but I just know that I feel awful about this whole thing," Susie said.

Clayton replied, "I'm just going to be honest with you. I mean, in my eyes, you just invalidated everything that we had, and to me, if you really cared so much about me and you really actually thought I was your person... I would think you would work through something like this."

Susie insisted she believed Clayton and therefore started to rethink if she had gone about things the wrong way.

"[I asked myself], 'Was I expecting too much?' It's made me think those things, but at the same time, you had sex with two women!" Susie said.


Clayton said if Susie had this huge dealbreaker, she should have brought it up to him earlier.

"I feel like at this point, I'm going home for sure now!" Susie cried. "You are committed to me going home at this point, and that's okay. I realized I f-cked this up."

Clayton blamed Susie for putting this on him when she had been the one wanting to quit.

"I'm not!" Susie said.

"You made the decision when you walked in here," Clayton argued.

Susie said it seemed their relationship was ending, and Clayton said it's because she had ended it.


"I'm not trying to place any extra blame on you, but the fact of the matter is, I don't even know who I'm looking at anymore," Clayton said.

"Dude, please don't say that," Susie countered. "That's like the worst part in all of this."

Clayton continued, "I'm sorry, Susie, but it's the honest truth... You just dropped a bombshell on me and I don't agree with -- at all -- how you went about this. I think it's B-S, and just, we're done. I'm done. We're not getting anything else out of [this]."

Clayton apologized for raising his voice, saying it was "out of character" for him but it was just because he cared so much and really did love her.

"To have this ripped from me is why you're seeing what you're seeing now. I have nothing more to say," Clayton noted. "Anything you say to me from this point [on] doesn't matter anymore. And so I'm going to walk you out. I'm done."

But Clayton walked way ahead of Susie and didn't even walk with her as she continued to speak about how their relationship was "real" for her.


Before Susie stepped into the car, she told Clayton that it seemed like he hated her at this point and she was "genuinely so sorry" for the pain she had caused him. She insisted, again, how their romance had been real and she felt "awful."

"Because of my faith, I believe everything happens for a reason," Clayton said. "And I'm just going to take that and move forward in my life... At some point, I'll end up finding somebody who will actually stick through it and will understand me for who I am and will fight for me as much as I fight for them."

Clayton concluded, "I thought you were that person and you're not that person. This is how it's supposed to end, and I'm done."

Clayton said his biggest fear had come to fruition, that he'd find true love and then lose it.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski