“Dr Todd’s Secret Is About To Be Exposed… Until One Devastating Twist Changes Everything” — Charity Faces A Nasty Shock
Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is barely holding it together following the sexual assault at the hands of Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker) in Emmerdale.
Having to cope with the aftermath of being raped is devastating enough, but Charity is having to do it without anyone knowing what happened – she can’t tell them, because then they’d know she lied about being baby Leyla’s real mum.
As far as her family know, her erratic and emotional behaviour is down to postnatal depression. They have no idea that Todd attacked her on her own sofa, and that Charity secretly took herself off to the police to report it.
They don’t know that the police quickly released Todd after questioning due to lack of evidence or that Todd lauded it over Charity, rubbing it in her face that once again, she was powerless.
Charity has struggled to even look at the sofa in question following the attack, turning to sleeping pills and heavy drinking to get by.
Charity’s emotional burden increased when granddaughter Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) found out about Charity’s supposed postnatal depression and offloaded all her own guilt on her Gran too.
As Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) tried to get close to his wife to support her, unaware of her struggles, she snapped and drove off, leaving the Dingles to form a search party while she spoke with a mysterious stranger at the lake about her worries.
She’s more fragile than ever, and next week will see push come to shove – she will confess to the police that Dr Todd was blackmailing her.
It’s a risky move in more ways than one, but she’s left with no choice if she wants to catch her perpetrator.
But this brave move comes with terrible news; DS Reid agrees to take a statement but warns it will be treated separately from the sexual assault charge.
It’s a huge kick in the teeth for Charity who had hoped the two allegations together would be enough to wipe that smug smile off her face.
Charity is left regretting she said anything and it’s more weight for her to bear. With the Christening upon them, Charity feels she has no choice but to grin and bear it all, and Mack can see her crumbling further. Will she crack and tell him everything?
