Sent a follow-up email after silence and got told the role was paused three weeks ago, nobody told me

Three weeks of checking the portal daily, assuming I'd bombed something in the final round. Finally emailed the recruiter directly and got a two-line reply: the role was paused for budget reasons the week after my interview, they just hadn't gotten around to telling candidates. Not mad about the pause. Mad about the three weeks I spent picking apart my own answers for a rejection that was never about me.