Not So Happily Ever After: Did Ben Higgins Just Call Off The Wedding?

Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell have chronicled the highs and lows of their rocky post-Bachelor relationship on TV for the past couple months. Between all the romance (and the Chad) on Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?, it's become clear that the question mark in the show's title is there for a good reason. We've seen the engaged couple fight about planning their future life together, including their wedding and the prospect of a televised ceremony. They've also attended couples counseling on-air in a healthy effort to tackle their problems before tying the knot. But a sneak peek at Tuesday night's two-hour episode reveals that the marriage preparations may be coming to an abrupt halt altogether. During a therapy session, Ben, 28, admits that he's not ready to begin a life with Lauren after all. "I think you’re ready to start a life. I’m not ready for that," he says, "Not even close." Well shit, Ben. It gets worse (after a quick cutaway to Ben searching for his soul while gazing at the horizon). During an emotional conversation about their future, Lauren, 25, asks Ben point-blank, "So you're saying the wedding is off?" Ben answers, "Yeah, I am."

While the couple's relationship is being documented for all the world to see, we know that the cameras don't capture everything — so it's hard to pass judgement on either Ben or Lauren. But at the same time, we can't help but ask, WTF Ben? This is a guy who went on TV to compete against two dozen other men for a woman's hand in marriage. Then he returned to the franchise to date 25 women and purportedly find a wife among them. Then he proposed to Lauren. And now he's realized he's not ready?

Of course, it's always better to be brutally honest with the person you love about your feelings, instead of bottling them up and hurting that person even more down the line. But it's just really tragic to see Lauren learn her fiancé is not on the same page as her after all. Was Ben thinking they'd date for a few more years after getting engaged? Who knows. There are still two episodes left after tonight's, so it's very possible the two will reconcile — whether that means moving forward with the wedding or not. But Happily Ever After? is starting to feel more and more like a real question.