With If statement Page load error works, but page load success does not

When running If statement, upon page element not being present, page load fails and produces a correct error message, but when the element is present, both conditions run, success code operation as well as failure operation.

Tried await page.waitForSelector and await page.$(selector) both did not work and

await page.waitForSelector('#example').then(() => {
  console.log('SUCCESS');
}).catch(e => {
  console.log('FAIL');
});

if (await page.$('.SELECTOR') !== null)
console.log(success(await page.title() + ' SUCCESS LOAD 1 - URL Page Load'));  // console log   
// on success continue below
else
console.log(error(await page.title() + ' FAIL LOAD 1 - URL Page Load'));  // console log    
await page.screenshot({path: './screenshots/Fail_Load_1_PageDidNotLoad.jpeg'}); // screenshot
await page.evaluate(() => alert('FAIL LOAD 1 - URL Page Did Not Load'));  // pop up alert
await browser.close();  // release memory  
return process.exit(1); // exit process

How to correctly incorporate a THEN.