The village is brimming with drama next week as secrets are exposed and one resident faces a terrifying ordeal that lands them in the hospital.

Caleb Milligan finds himself in a puzzling situation when Charles Anderson offers him a lift to Hotton. Uneasy but accepting, Caleb follows the village vicar into the woods after Charles stops at the local A&E and grows emotional. Charles, heartbroken, reminisces about his deceased son and laments the dropped case. When Caleb tries to comfort him, Charles’s demeanor shifts to cold fury. He grills Caleb over Ethan’s hit-and-run incident, presenting invoice evidence that implicates Caleb. Despite Caleb’s attempts to calm him, Charles is determined to uncover the truth. However, Charles remains unaware that the real culprit is Ruby, who sought revenge on Ethan.

Elsewhere, tensions flare between Laurel Thomas and Jai Sharma. Jai admits he can’t face telling Sunny the truth about Amit, leading to a heated argument. In the heat of the moment, Jai makes a cruel remark about Ashley, prompting Laurel to kick him out. Jai then musters the courage to tell Sunny the truth about Amit’s money. Meanwhile, Laurel, alone and stressed, collapses from dizziness and struggles to reach her phone. Thankfully, Gabby finds her and calls an ambulance as Laurel struggles to breathe. When Jai hears about Laurel, his world falls apart. Will he finally tell Sunny the truth, and will Laurel survive her ordeal?

Meanwhile, Tom King’s abusive manipulation continues. He devises a plan to leave the village with his suffering wife, Belle. When Tom attempts to shut down Charity Dingle’s questioning, Belle becomes furious. Tom blames Belle’s mental health, leading the other Dingle women to worry that Charity is overreacting. Frustrated, Charity leaves, fearing she has missed her chance to help Belle. The next day, Belle is uninterested in Charity’s apologies. At home, Tom takes a job interview for a role in a remote part of Wales, telling the interviewer that his wife would love to live there. When Belle returns, Tom suggests a holiday, keen to take her to a secluded cottage. Unaware of his evil plan, Belle agrees, setting the stage for further drama.