In Monday (June 10)’s Emmerdale, Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) discovered that she’s pregnant. At an appointment with nurse Wendy Posner (Susan Cookson), Belle explained that she wasn’t sure about what to do about the pregnancy and Wendy gave her some leaflets outlining her options.
Her main worry was that she didn’t want Tom (James Chase) finding out before she’d made her decision, as she knew he would definitely want the pregnancy to go ahead and the choice would be taken out of her hands.
In upcoming episodes Tom becomes enraged after Cain (Jeff Hordley) gives him a lecture about selling Belle’s car. Terrified of his temper, Belle blurts out that she’s pregnant.
Tom is emotional at the thought that he’s going to be a dad and pulls her in for a hug, promising that he’ll change and become a better husband from now on.
Belle dares to hope that Tom might really have changed, but it’s not long before he ignores her wishes to keep the pregnancy private and tells Paddy (Dominic Brunt) about the baby. Soon the news is all over the village.
After Tom locks her in the house and there’s a scary situation when a fire starts and she can’t escape, Belle makes a decision. She tells the midwife that she wants a termination. An appointment is booked, and Belle calls a taxi because she now has no car.
She has no money, either, as Tom has control of their bank account, so she realises she can’t book the taxi and isn’t able to get to her appointment.
Tom returns home unexpectedly, and Belle comes up with a plan. He compliments her makeup so she asks him to take a photo of her on his phone. As he’s unlocking the phone she notices his PIN. While he’s upstairs she opens his phone to access the bank account.
She’s horrified as she realises he’s been tracking her movements on an app and the full extent of his controlling behaviour is made clear.
Deciding that the only way she’ll get to her appointment is to use Tom’s car without him knowing, Belle takes the spare keys. Not wanting Tom to track her and work out where she’s going and why, Belle comes up with a plan.
She asks Amelia (Daisy Campbell) to look after Piper, and while they’re talking she slips her phone into Esther’s pram – meaning that, as far as Tom is concerned, she’s still in the village. Then she sets off for the clinic.
Her mind is in turmoil as she tries to make sense of Tom’s behaviour, but she’s clear about one thing – she can’t have his baby.
Will she go through with the termination? How will Tom react when he finds out – and when he discovers she deceived him?
