Season 10 of Married at First Sight has brought a whirlwind of emotions for its five couples.
In the first episode, when Mindy Shiben got the first glance at her husband, Zach Justice, she swooned over his handsome outward appearance.
The figure skating coach was hopeful of finding love and happiness after a recent miscarriage, as well as the trauma of losing her younger sister to drugs. On top of that, her parents chose not to be present for her arranged marriage, which was difficult for the 34-year-old.
Though she walked the wedding aisle alone, Zach warmly greeted her with an embrace. As a personal trainer and fitness model, he seemed like a good fit for Mindy’s athleticism.
Mindy, whom the show named “Miss Optimistic,” vowed to approach their union with an open heart and “to never let a day go by without listening to you, laughing with you, and eventually loving you.”
For his part, Zach promised to make Mindy feel like “the most beautiful and attractive woman in the world.”
Zach’s broken promise
It didn’t take long for Zach to conveniently forget his marriage vows.
Though the couple was seemingly happy as they took off to a honeymoon in Panama, things quickly began to fall apart, as Zach showed disinterest in Mindy.
On the second night of what was supposed to be a magical vacation, Zach told his new wife that he wasn’t physically attracted to her. This left Mindy feeling confused, frustrated, and sad, even leaving the room in the middle of the night to shoot a confessional video.
As Season 10 continued, the couple seemed to be growing further apart rather than closer together, with Zach declining to move in with Mindy once they returned to Washington, DC.
Each week, Zach seemed to harp on the fact that he didn’t find Mindy attractive, and was still trying to “search for” an attraction to her. He even, insultingly, asked Mindy if she had any suggestions for how he could do so.
Zach hides something from Mindy
While refusing to fully give in to the process, Zach now seems to have reached a new level of low in his marriage to Mindy.
For weeks, rumors have been circulating that Zach may be having an affair with Mindy’s friend, Lindsay, leaving fans to wonder what will happen next with the not-so-happy honeymooners.
In the most recent episode, Anniversaries and Secrets, the couple approached their one-month anniversary. Though they enjoyed a date together, Zach became uncomfortable when Mindy wanted him to stay the night.
He believed that she hasn’t been honest with him, opening up a new hurdle for the couple to overcome.
Confused, Mindy questioned if Zach has been talking to any of her friends. He discloses that her friend, Lindsay, had reached out to him.
“Did you exchange numbers at the wedding or something?” Mindy suspiciously asked.
Zach explained that he and Lindsay started following one another on Instagram after the ceremony, eventually, they ended up exchanging numbers. He went on to say that Lindsay reached out to him in an alleged effort to help him better communicate with Mindy.
Possible love triangle forms
It now appears that Zach and Lindsay have more than a passing interest in one another.
While Zach claimed he and Lindsay haven’t communicated in days, Lindsay told a different story after Mindy called her.
She revealed that their “friendship” has evolved from simply talking about Mindy and that Zach sent her a “cute” text message as recently as that morning.
The news of Zach’s omission leaves Mindy bewildered and wondering which of the two is lying.
The show’s experts, as well as fans and Mindy herself, believe that Zach may be having an emotional affair with Lindsay.
Meanwhile, on the Couples Couch, former MAFS couples commented that Zach was the “most frustrating person in Married at First Sight history.”
What will happen next in the Zach and Mindy saga?
Married at First Sight airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Lifetime.