The Bachelor featured Matt James choosing Rachael Kirkconnell, Serena Pitt, Bri Springs and Michelle Young as his Final 4 bachelorettes and saying goodbye to Heather Martin, Jessenia Cruz, Pieper James, Abigail Heringer, Chelsea Vaughn, Kit Keenan, and Serena Chew during Monday night's jam-packed Season 25 episode on ABC.

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Matt chose Rachael, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, GA; Serena P., a 22-year-old publicist from Markham, ON; Michelle, a 27-year-old teacher from Edina, MN; and Bri, a 24-year-old communications manager from Owatonna, MN, as his Final 4 bachelorettes after two one-on-one dates, a group date, and two Rose Ceremonies.

Matt chose to eliminate newcomer Heather as well as Jessenia, a 27-year-old social media marketer from San Antonio, TX; Pieper, a 24-year-old graduate student from Happy Valley, OR; Chelsea, a 29-year-old runway model from Marietta, GA; Serena C., a 24-year-old flight attendant from San Bruno, CA; and Abigail, a 25-year-old client financial from Salem, OR.

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As for Kit, a 21-year-old fashion entrepreneur from New York, NY, she decided to quit the show because she didn't feel ready to potentially accept a marriage proposal from Matt at the Final Rose Ceremony.

The Bachelor Season 25 Episode 7

The Bachelor broadcast began where last week's episode had left off, with The Bachelor alum Heather Martin showing up on a group date and chasing Matt down. Kit recognized Heather from Colton Underwood's season.

When Matt saw Heather, he laughed and said, "Heather?!"

Matt was talking to Pieper at the time and so The Bachelor star had to ask her for a couple of minutes with Heather. Pieper felt like an "invisible b-tch" and yelled, "What the f-ck?!"

Pieper joined the group of ladies and admitted she was "shaking."

"If she gets a rose tonight, I will be rageful," Serena P. told the cameras.

Heather informed Matt how Hannah Brown had told her that she'd be a good match with Matt because of his heart. Heather said, "Guys like that don't just come around every day."

Heather said the more she learned about Matt, the more she needed to get to know him.

"It would kill me if I didn't try," Heather shared with Matt. "So I booked a red-eye on my own."

Meanwhile, the girls were freaking out and crying. Pieper didn't understand what Heather was doing on the show, and she said she'd be devastated if Matt gave Heather a rose since he had been developing relationships with other women for weeks.

Matt told Heather that he loved and trusted Hannah and they're best friends; however, he asked for more time to make such a big decision.

Heather promised Matt that she was on the show only for him and to date him.

"When I look at Heather, I think, 'Hannah is qualified to pick someone that she can see me with. I'm excited that she's here and that she's been so bold in how she's pursuing me. Up until the point where I am engaged, I don't want to leave this with any doubts," Matt explained in a confessional.

Heather believed she and Matt could be a really good match and that he could be her husband. Heather hoped all she had to do to get on the show would be worth it.

Heather then joined Matt's cast of bachelorettes, and Heather said she had never met Matt before but wanted to get to know him.

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The girls were quiet and abrasive with Heather, as Jessenia took a stab at Heather by saying, "So you missed that one and so you tried this one?"

Heather told the girls that she didn't feel it with Colton and that relationship wasn't for her.

Heather said she didn't come in to ruin everyone's day, but then Pieper confessed, "My day is ruined."

Heather insisted to the girls she wanted to meet Matt and her appearance wasn't about being on TV again. Heather said Hannah B. thought she and Matt would be a great match.

Pieper accused Heather of "Bachelor hopping," and Jessenia added, "That's exactly what it is!"

Jessenia said she wasn't convinced Heather would be ready for an engagement in a few weeks, but Heather argued, "You guys don't know me at all... [I wish] Hannah just set me up with him, but that wasn't the reality of the situation."

Pieper asked for an apology since Heather interrupted her time with Matt without addressing her first, and Heather replied, "I truly am sorry. I didn't mean to not address you. I am freaking out."

Pieper said the girls had been around for six weeks and Heather showing up in Week 6 was totally uncalled for.

"B-tch, what are you doing?!" Kit asked.

Heather broke down into tears and said was felt sad because she didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Heather never expected the girls to be so mean and make her feel "unworthy."

"[Heather] is like a virus coming in and she's affecting the whole system," Serena C. said.

Rachael told the cameras that if Matt allowed Heather to join the competition, everything Matt had said he felt for her "was a lie" and his feelings for her apparently weren't genuine. Rachael said her relationship would be "over" if Matt gave Heather a rose.

Matt quickly talked to The Bachelor host Chris Harrison and said the fact that Hannah B. had vouched for Heather, that carried a lot of weight for him. Matt said it sounded like Heather checked a lot of his boxes and he respects Hannah's opinion.

"Matt said several times, 'I see my wife in this room,' so to add another woman at this point, I just don't see him being able to do that," Kit vented in a confessional.

"I just have to trust in Matt that he makes the right decision, because I can't keep doing this. At some point, it needs to become about me and my relationship."

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When Matt and Heather reunited, Matt said he was blown away by Heather's arrival and impressed that she was following her heart. Matt said based on Hannah B.'s opinion, Heather seemed like someone he could really be with.

Matt admitted the decision was really "hard" for him, however, given he was already "so deep into the process."

"I don't know how it could work. I know that's not what you want to hear, and that's hard to say, because, again, everything I've heard about you," Matt told Heather.

Heather insisted she was taking this very seriously and wanted nothing to do with the show other than getting to know Matt, but Matt said if her appearance was under different circumstances, they'd be having another conversation.

"But I'm falling in love with women who are here, and I've just got to follow my heart," Matt said.

Heather immediately looked defeated and wished she had been able to show up earlier. Matt said time wasn't on their side and his heart was pulling him into the room of ladies.

Matt felt "honored" Heather had flown to Pennsylvania and rented a minivan just to see him, but their short time together wouldn't be able to measure up to the connections he had made with other women.

Heather's arrival was apparently "affirmation" to Matt that his wife really was in his group of ladies.

Heather told Matt that she hoped he could find his "person," and she hugged him goodbye and hopped back into her minivan.

Heather cried in frustration because she said she was so serious about being with Matt and never expected the outcome of him sending her home.

Matt assured his group of women that no one else would be joining their journey and his heart was with all of them. And with that being said, Matt continued his conversation with Pieper.

All the girls agreed they had yet to feel so attracted to Matt and that was a glimpse into the future of how well he handles difficult situations.

Going into the Rose Ceremony, Abigail didn't know where she stood with Matt since she had yet to receive a one-on-one date with him, but she didn't want to go home and said a rose would validate what she was feeling about him.

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The Rose Ceremony then commenced and Michelle and Pieper already had roses from dates earlier in the week.

Matt told his group of women that life after the show with one person looked "promising," and then he handed out roses in the following order: Bri, Rachael, Serena P., Kit, Jessenia, and Abigail.

Matt therefore eliminated Serena C. and Chelsea.

On her way out, Chelsea told Matt that she thought he was amazing, and she said being ousted "killed" her."

"It sucks to give your hopes up, and I feel if I had as much time or a different situation or different scenarios, then we could actually hit it off. But we're not even going to get the chance to figure that out," Chelsea lamented. "So that sucks."

And Serena C. said she felt "rejected."

"I'm not The One for Matt," Serena C. said. "I know being vulnerable means you're going to pretty much be exposing yourself to getting hurt, and eventually, that happened."

The next day, Abigail and Jessenia hoped for a one-on-one date with Matt.

Chris Harrison dropped off the Date Card and revealed there would be two one-on-one dates as well as a group date this week.

But the first one-on-one date went to Serena P., with Matt teasing, "Can our love go deeper?"

Abigail was extremely disappointed and tried to figure out where Matt's head was at.

Matt said spending more time with Serena P. was important because he had worked his way into "the friendzone" but they had yet to experience "a breakthrough moment." Matt said this date was going to tell him where their relationship stood.

For their date, Serena P. and Matt tapped into their energies and chakras by doing some tantric yoga together.

Matt said he was "really into" Serena P. and was vibing with her, but Serena P. admitted she was uncomfortable with the sex-based yoga positions. Serena P. said this date was not right for her, and she wouldn't have chosen this as a date.

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Serena P. even dodged a kiss from Matt in one of their poses, and Serena P. acknowledged Matt is a more affectionate person than she is, especially in public.

Serena P. said she was in her head the entire time and just waited for it to be over, and she was honest with Matt that tantric yoga was a first and last experience for her.

Matt asked why Serena P. hated the activity, and Serena P. admitted she was "beyond [her] comfort zone" and it just wasn't for her. Matt appreciated Serena P.'s honesty, but he said he liked looking into her eyes and felt "naked" and vulnerable at points.

"I don't need you to tell me everything is good. If you don't like something or you feel uncomfortable, I want you to tell me," Matt shared.

Serena P. explained she is not quick to lust or love, and Matt wanted Serena P. to know that he wasn't trying to rush her. Matt felt "horrible" about the date, but tantric yoga apparently helped him connect to her.

"It makes me wonder if we are on different wavelengths in our relationship," Matt pondered.

Matt later added, "It really caught me off-guard. Going into tonight, we're trying to figure out if we're compatible. This late into the process, I've got to have that spark and that connection where I'm looking into our future and I'm seeing my wife."

Meanwhile, a group date card arrived for Pieper, Michelle, Rachael, Bri, Kit, and Abigail. That meant Jessenia would be going on a one-on-one date and she appeared thrilled.

But Abigail was upset about not being able to explore the potential of a relationship with Matt. She had received the First Impression Rose and a group-date rose, but it wasn't enough.

Later that evening, Matt and Serena P. enjoyed a dinner date and Matt said he was glad that she felt empowered to speak her mind and be authentic and real. Matt was glad that the bachelorette was so authentic and real.

Serena P. said she didn't want to lie to Matt because that's not a good way to start off a relationship.

Matt expressed how he had strong feelings for Serena P., and she in turn said she was "falling for" The Bachelor star and felt ready to take the next step and have him meet her family.

Matt therefore gave Serena P. a very meaningful rose, saying, "I am very much looking forward to meeting your family."

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The pair ended their date with a little ice skating, and Matt noted, "It's a good feeling when you leave a long day with someone wanting more. And the more I've gotten to know about her, I can 100 percent see myself falling in love with Serena."

The following day, Matt set out to discover which relationships were growing and which ones had plateaued on a group date.

Matt just spent time talking to one girl at a time, and the date kicked off with Bri revealing to Matt she had resigned from her position to go on The Bachelor. Bri said she made finding love -- with hopefully Matt -- a priority but it was a really hard position.

Bri said her mother had to make a lot of sacrifices to give Bri a better life and so her job wasn't just a job to her.

"It felt like a dream," Bri said of her job. "But being here with you makes it feel extremely worth it."

Matt told Bri that the fact she was willing to step away from a job to pursue a life with Matt meant "everything" to him and was "huge."

"I've heard all I need to hear from Bri; she is here for me," Matt gushed.

Pieper then told Matt that she was "falling in love" with him and she really wanted him to meet her family, and Michelle promised that she was "100 percent committed" to The Bachelor star.

Abigail then sat down with Matt and wondered if she had been overthinking things because the couple would be really good together.

Abigail shared with Matt how she wished she had more time with him but they had great conversations in which she opened up to him about her biggest insecurities and discovered they want a lot of the same things and share a similar perspective.

Abigail told Matt that she was "excited" about him and had started picturing being Matt's wife and having a family with him. Although it scared her a little bit, Abigail said she could picture the possibility of having a future with Matt.

"Can you see that possibility with me? I'd rather know now instead of [later]," Abigail asked.

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Matt explained he was instantly drawn to Abigail on Night 1 because she's beautiful, compassionate and understanding -- and it was a no-brainer to give her the First Impression Rose.

Matt said he felt so comfortable in their relationship that he explored other relationships.

"In exploring those relationships with other women and going on those one-on-ones, I did grow strong feelings for them. In being honest with you and following my heart, my heart is pulling me in another direction. I apologize," Matt responded.

"The last thing I want to do is lead you on and lie to you. You deserve someone who is going to put you first."

Abigail said she appreciated Matt being honest, and then he walked her out.

Abigail broke down into tears after she said goodbye and said in her final words, "For me to lay it all out and then for him to just come back and say he doesn't see it, it's just kind of eating me alive right now."

"I just feel like I'm constantly the person that makes men realize what they want next -- but they never want that with me," she continued. "It's just a hard pill that I'm going to have to swallow."

Matt then asked to talk to Rachael, who said her parents probably wouldn't grill Matt if they could see how much she cared for him and wanted a future with him.

"I've never felt like this, and it's really terrifying," Rachael admitted. "But it's exciting because I feel like I've been searching what feels like my whole life for this, and now I feel like I've finally found it -- but I don't know if I'm going to get it."

Matt assured Rachael that when he wasn't around her, he was thinking about her and she always made him smile.

After seeing Abigail go home, she admitted she was feeling a combination of fear, excitement and nervousness. Matt made her feel happy and giddy, but she didn't really know where Matt stood.

When Kit talked to Matt, she opened up about the trajectory of her life and things she wouldn't be willing to compromise on -- such as finishing school, traveling and figuring out her career path.

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Kit said she wanted a man who would be her cheerleader and allow her to grow, adding, "That means getting married and creating a family together eventually will be pushed a little bit longer than probably most of the other women here. I wouldn't want to have kids until I'm 25 or 26, so I'm a long-term investment, I would say."

Matt giggled at Kit's dominant speech and said he didn't have specifics for what he wanted in the next five years; he just wanted to be progressing forward with one person.

Matt said he'd never put pressure on Kit to do something that she didn't want to do and the idea of having a relationship with her outside of the show excited him.

Kit was prepared for Matt to send her home, but his response to her speech left her feeling "euphoric."

"I am definitely falling in love, and I think Matt feels the same way. So I definitely feel confident I'm going to get that rose tonight," Kit shared in a confessional.

Matt then gave the group-date rose to Rachael, and the couple left the date together to enjoy a private concert by Aloe Blacc.

Bri cried and said she felt like she could rip her stomach out, and Kit also said the rose to Rachael felt like "a dagger to [her] chest" and she wasn't sure how much longer she could go through this.

Michelle and Pieper were also in tears as Rachael danced the rest of the night away with Matt in a magical evening.

"I am on top of the world. I truly could not be happier right now. I am head over heels in love. Get on one knee right now; it's a done deal," Rachael told the cameras.

At the end of the night, Kit found Matt to talk and said she didn't have the clarity she needed going into hometowns, which shouldn't be "a-figure-out situation."

"It's a rest-of-your-life situation, and you deserve someone who is 100 percent sure of you getting down on one knee tomorrow, and that's not me," Kit told Matt.

Matt told Kit that she meant a lot to him and he was so attracted to her because she knows what she wants out of life and doesn't care what anybody thinks about her. Matt said, "I like you a lot, and I want you here."

But Kit said leaving would be "the right thing" for the both of them.

"Matt is a very, very special man, and whoever ends up being his wife is a very lucky person," Kit said in her final words.

"He deserves to move forward with people who know for sure that he's their future husband. But I still do have seeds of doubt. It's not just breaking up with someone; it's breaking up with someone that could be your entire future. So I am scared that I am making the wrong decision."

The next day, Jessenia went on a one-on-one date with Matt right before hometowns, and she said she was taking their relationship very seriously.

Matt, a self-declared adrenaline junkie, then took Jessenia for a spin in a red race car, and the couple pushed the limits in the car. Jessenia said she's also a thrill-seeker.

Matt said Jessenia had been extremely patient with him and they both had some ground to make up.

Jessenia and Matt made out on top of the race car, and then over dinner that evening, Jessenia told Matt that her family would welcome him with open arms and she was "falling in love" with him.

"I think you are incredible, and I have no regrets coming here," Jessenia said.

Matt told the cameras that Jessenia was caring, strong, smart, compassionate and everything he was looking for -- but "compatibility" was missing and the love he needed to feel going into hometown week.

"I really see myself marrying one of [the other girls], and if I'm being honest with myself, Jessenia and my relationship isn't there yet," Matt explained in a confessional.

Matt then picked up the rose on the date and told Jessenia that he loved her boldness and how she carries herself. However, Matt let her down gently.

Matt said with an engagement being the end result of his journey, there needs to be an intangible love and connection.

"I don't think I'm there yet," Matt told Jessenia.

"And knowing that you deserve unwavering love and respect, and knowing that I can't give you that love right now, I can't give you this rose. It's not easy, but I needed to be honest with you."

Jessenia confessed she felt "blindsided" and didn't expect the end result of going home in sixth place.

"It hurts to hear Matt admit that he can't really be that person for me," Jessenia said in tears following her ouster.

"I felt more for him than he felt for me, but getting to see his heart and be vulnerable with him, I'll always cherish that. I do deserve love and I am excited to meet that person. I know he's there, so I'll just wait."

It then became time for the next Rose Ceremony, and there were only five women remaining.

Rachael and Serena P. already had roses, so Pieper, Michelle and Bri were in jeopardy of going home.

The vulnerable girls were scared of being rejected, and Matt acknowledged that he felt "conflicted" because he had real feelings for those women.

"I am fully invested in Matt," Michelle told the cameras. "He is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. He's the person I want to have a family with. Getting sent home at this point, my heart is going to be broken."

Matt decided to give roses to Bri and Michelle, which ultimately eliminated Pieper in fifth place.

Pieper didn't say a word to Matt when she left and appeared angry. Her biggest fear had been that Matt didn't reciprocate her strong feelings for him.

"The fact that I put myself out there and it still wasn't [enough] is exactly what I thought it was going to be. I put my weakness and my happiness on the table for literally nothing, for a big waste of time," Pieper cried.

"This is not me. I am not someone who just blindly follows feelings and emotions. I really should've stuck to that because it feels like your entire soul has been stomped on. I should know."

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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