Tom confronts Belle at The Hide in Emmerdale
Belle has been away for a few days (Picture: ITV)

Tom King’s (James Chase) plan to get Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) home has worked in Emmerdale – but only to some extent.

Last week, Belle decided to spend time in a mental health unit, unaware the issues with her mental health were being exacerbated as a result of Tom’s abusive behaviour.

When Belle announced she would be spending a few days away from the village, Tom was left fearful.

He knew Belle could confess his abuse to a mental health professional, or someone could work out what was going on in their relationship – so he decided to try and do something about it.

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Tom and Belle King in the kitchen at Dale Head in Emmerdale
A desperate Tom wanted Belle back under his control (Picture: ITV)

Tom’s plan involved him poisoning Piper the dog. He believed in his warped mind that if Piper fell poorly and Belle found out, she would return home as soon as possible.

And she did.

Rushing into Dale Head, Belle comforted Piper and Tom was pleased his plot had worked.

Tom then started to ask Belle about her time in the mental health unit. His approach was to pretend he was being supportive, but in reality, Tom just wanted to see what Belle had revealed about him.

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After mentioning the fact she knows she didn’t forget to take her mental health medication, Belle told Tom that she actually didn’t want to talk about anything else – and he had no choice but to respect that.

If Belle doesn’t tell Tom about the discussions she had while away, could this cause him to become more paranoid?

Or is this a sign Belle has made a breakthrough?

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