Is Shannon Beador leaving RHOC?

The three-part reunion special of The Real Housewives of Orange County is only a week away, but one of the cast members is already questioning whether or not she'll be returning for season 19 of the Bravo series.

What happened to Shannon Beador in season 18 of RHOC?

It was no surprise that season 18 was such a dramatic one for Shannon Beador. She had just gone through a major divorce from her ex-husband, John Janssen, and the newest "friend" of the housewives was a former cast member who just happened to be dating the very same man when she re-joined the cast.

The pair were at odds with each other through much of the season and, of course, a lot of the drama between them was focused on their shared connection, John Janssen, and specifically came in the form of a lawsuit that he filed against Shannon Beador.

Because this season was so toxic for Shannon Beador, she's not sure whether or not she's going to be returning for season 19. According to this cast member who joined in season 9 of RHOC, it all comes down to who else is returning for the season.

Will Shannon Beador come back for season 19 of RHOC?

"I experienced some time with people that were very unhealthy for me to be around," she told PEOPLE. "That's important in my life right now, to make healthy choices and to separate myself from toxic situations."

Shannon says that even though this season was dramatic and toxic for her, she's been working on herself, trying to make better decisions, and focusing on her healing since she finished filming. This is why making the right decision on whether or not she's coming back is so important to Shannon and the future of her healing journey.

"I hope that people will see that I am taking life seriously and I'm doing whatever I can in my power to better my life to become a better person," Shannon told People after opening up about the fact that her state of mind during filming will likely be obvious to fans who watch the RHOC reunion special and see how "puffy" and "exhausted" she was at that time.

Despite the fact that the season was so dramatic and toxic for Shannon Beador, she says that she doesn't want sympathy and just hopes RHOC fans enjoy the season and the three-part reunion special and that they see that she's been working on bettering herself.

"But really what matters is what I think. I hope they enjoy the show ... I hope that people say, ‘Okay, she's working on herself, so good for her,’ but I don't need pats on the back," she told PEOPLE.

Catch the RHOC three-part reuinon special when it starts on November 7 on Bravo.