Belle King has risked being caught by her abusive husband Tom over having

an abortion in Emmerdale. Earlier this week, Belle secretly decided to visit a women’s

health clinic to proceed with a medical abortion, since she was terrified of having

a baby with Tom. In Friday’s (June 21) episode on ITV1 and streaming service ITVX, Belle tricked Tom into revealing how long he’d be out of the house. “You stay put [at home]. Husband’s orders,” Tom told her. Once Tom left for work, Belle’s plan for the day was interrupted by Cain unexpectedly stopping by to congratulate her on the pregnancy. Cain confided in Belle about his marriage trouble with Moira, before he apologised for bothering her with his problems and going on his way. Belle snuck off in the car to take her next medical abortion pill at the clinic. However, she knew Tom was tracking her movements so she called him and pretended she was at the hospital and asked for him to meet her at home.

Tom rushed back to Dale Head, where Belle tearfully lied that she’d been in the hospital and found out that she’d lost their baby. He was furious that Belle hadn’t phoned him to come to the hospital with her, but she insisted there was no signal until she got to the car park. Belle broke down as she pleaded: “I was just so focused on getting to the hospital and I was praying this was fixable.” Tom next turned his anger towards the hospital, accusing the medical staff of negligence for not calling him. Belle begged Tom not to make a fuss, reminding him there was nothing they could do now anyway. “Tom, I’m so sorry. I am, but we can get through this,” she promised.

“We’re gonna get through this together.” The soap later cut back to the couple, with Tom suggesting they start trying for another baby as soon as Belle was healed. Belle tried to put him off, telling her husband that it’s just “too soon” to consider pregnancy again. “I don’t think I could face something like that again, not straight away,” Belle told him. Tom was convinced that Belle would change her mind, but when he went to take Piper for a walk, she sat all alone in silence. Instead of taking Piper for a walk, Tom snuck into the car where he used his tracker to confirm she had driven to a clinic. Tom seemed happy that Belle was telling the truth until the camera panned over to show the packet of medical abortion pills on the car’s passenger side floor.