This article includes discussion of domestic abuse, including coercive control, that some readers may find distressing.4

Belle King (Eden Taylor-Draper) began to prepare for a secret termination, after abusive husband Tom (James Chase) left her in more danger in tonight’s tense instalment of Emmerdale (13th June 2024).

After revealing the news of her pregnancy to the village, Tom managed to get round Belle’s annoyance, and as the week continued, Tom suggested that Belle should stop taking her mental health medication while they were expecting the baby.

Belle insisted that that she couldn’t consider that, as she would not risk her mental health after her recent ‘relapse’ – which had actually been orchestrated by Tom himself.

Tom backtracked, but when Belle wanted to attend Ethan Anderson’s (Emile John) funeral, Tom asked her to wait and go along with him later. But behind her back, Tom took Belle’s keys and locked her inside the house, trapping her for the day while he worked.

Soon, Belle left some food cooking on the kitchen stove, and went for a nap on the sofa with pet dog Piper. She was woken by the smoke alarm as a tea towel on the hob led to a fire, and when Belle put out the blaze and tried to open the doors, she found she was completely trapped.

When Tom returned, Belle confronted him over locking her in, and Tom gaslit her into thinking that it was she who kept locking up the house. Tom branded Belle obsessive, and planted her house keys in one of the kitchen cupboards, convincing her that she was to blame for the day’s events.

Belle was uneasy as she apologised to Tom, but he had the nerve to accuse her of controlling him, and when alone again, Belle searched online for an abortion clinic as a way out of her nightmare. Will she go through with it, or will vile Tom rumble her plan?