Is this Married At First Sight’s most eligible bachelor? The experts sure think so!
36-year-old Duncan seems to have it all; a career, emotional maturity, looks and family values. What’s not to love?
Which seems to be precisely what his wife-to-be, Alyssa was thinking on their wedding day.
The couple quickly became one of the most stable relationships of the season…until now.
The wedding
As far as MAFS wedding goes, Alyssa and Duncan’s big day went off without a hitch. Sure, Duncan doesn’t cry at the alter which Alyssa was hoping for – but he was “absolutely beyond” what she expected.
“I could see him being the one,” she happily explained.
Alyssa and Duncan genuinely seem like they’re made for each other. Duncan is “looking for love that knocks your socks off,” and Alyssa is looking for “her prince charming.” Duncan wants kids – Alyssa has a three-year-old son. Duncan’s from the northern beaches. Guess what? So is Alyssa! It really was going well.
Despite Alyssa’s complex religious background (she was raised Mormon), the experts believe Alyssa’s faith and Duncan’s hope will lead to the perfect match, revealing that they believe Duncan is the “most eligible bachelor we have ever had,” which is a big call.
An Affair
Whilst the honeymoon went smoothly, move-in day and confessions week brought the emotional moment Alyssa revealed that she had cheated in a previous relationship.
“It’s not something I’m proud of,” Alyssa explained, “I was complicit in an affair… I was the other woman and I knew that he was a married man.”
“I did not expect that at all” Duncan shared after the bombshell announcement. “I was cheated on when I was younger…it rips people apart”
“That’s not a mistake,” he continued, “that’s a choice…it’s extremely poor behaviour.”
Whilst the couple took the night to process, it looked like a fairytale ending may still be insight for Duncan and Alyssa. After Alyssa explained more details of the relationship, revealing how her sheltered early life had left her gullible and easily trusting, Duncan decided to put the past behind them.
“I’m at peace with what you said…because I think I know you deep down,” shared Duncan, “I think you are a really genuine person.”
Self-Sabatoge?
Many fans are convinced Alyssa was self-sabotaging her own relationship after the couple’s marriage seemingly broke down overnight.
But in reality, it’s a lot more complex than that – with the pair’s very different lives becoming a major point of contention.
During the new and controversial “feedback week” both Duncan and Alyssa had the chance to put their feelings in an “honesty letter.”
For Duncan, it was a chance to put into words how he was feeling about the current state of their relationship.
“I feel that it’s hard to have tough conversations without extreme emotions taking over,” he wrote.
“It hurts me when I’m shut out and unable to converse with you. It’s only on your terms and on your time. Sometimes it feels negative and that we focus on little things and somehow they turn into big issues.”
“Words and sentences about the future are often phrased with ‘I’m just not sure if this is going to work’ or ‘you will never understand what it’s like to be a parent.’ If I can never understand, how can I possibly integrate myself into you and your child’s life?”
For Alyssa, the letter brought up some major issues in the relationship.
“I know I’ve been hesitant to talk about the future, but we’ve never made plans about the upcoming weeks outside of this [experiment] … I’m worried when things get too intense due to external pressures like my family life, you will cut and run,” she wrote.
“I’m also worried that you’ve never asked about my child being a first priority, I know you try to understand that dynamic – but you will never fully understand.”
After the couple tried to yet again talk about the future of their relationship, Alyssa returned to the idea that Duncan would “never understand what it’s like to have a child.”
“Maybe I’m overthinking it, maybe I’m self-sabotaging,” Alyssa questioned before determining that the two of them had entirely different lives.
For Duncan, he was left broken. “I feel more rejected in this relationship than any relationship I’ve ever been in,” he told the cameras before breaking down in tears.
Final Vows
Ouch. That was painful to watch. Despite Alyssa’s previous hesitations, she enters the final vows with the hope they could make things work.
But as she confirms how much she does want to have a relationship outside of the experiment – Duncan shocks her with the decision to leave.
“The decision heading into final vows is easily one of the toughest decisions I’ve got to make in my whole entire life and I know Alyssa has some reservations and I definitely do as well,” he shared before the ceremony.
Admitting to his sister that he isn’t used to a relationship with this level of conflict, Duncan shares that he’s felt more “rejected” in this marriage than in any previous relationship.
Agreeing that he feels like he’s “treading on eggshells” a bit in the relationship, Duncan shares with his sister an intimate look at his relationship with Alyssa.
“I’ve really thought about what words to use in front of Alyssa so I don’t trigger her and really made sure that my behaviour wouldn’t give Alyssa any reason to doubt me or to feel insecure…I’m starting to second-guess my own judgment and my way of looking at the world.”
With Duncan’s decision to leave the relationship blinding Alyssa, the final vows were hard to watch.
“I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to continue getting hurt, so I have to say goodbye” explained Duncan as Alyssa broke down in tears.
Married At First Sight Australia airs Monday to Wednesday, 7:30pm, and Sunday, 7pm, on Nine Network and 9Now.
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