Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) comes clean about her horrifying ordeal with Greg Dolan (Dean Williamson) in EastEnders next week.
Last week, during a series of flashbacks, viewers were introduced to the devious individual who claimed to be working as a private investigator.
He had information on her son – who she abandoned in hospital in 2006 – but wanted 5k in exchange for it.
Luckily for Zoe, she’d met Max Branning (Jake Wood) and was in the middle of a brief sexual relationship. Reflecting on the estrangement from his own kids, he offered her the cash.
As he waited outside in a car, she went into Greg’s derelict flat and handed over the money.
There was a catch, however. Greg wanted more – and when she couldn’t cough it up, said that he could find an alternative arrangement.
As he forced himself onto her, she picked up a lampshade and repeatedly whacked him around the head several times, knocking him unconscious.
She then told Max about the ordeal, and abandoned him when he refused to be involved in what she had done.
Some months on, and after her return to Albert Square, she was involved in a shooting. As us fans know, it was either Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) or Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) who were responsible, as they fought over who should take possession of the gun.
A fragile Zoe instantly thought that Greg was responsible, telling mum Kat (Jessie Wallace) that she had an enemy… ‘and they’re still alive.’
The pressure mounts for Zoe
Next week, Zoe returns home from hospital and is still shaken after the incident.
She’s the talk of Walford, and all of the gossip is making her more aware of the fact that – in her eyes – she was Greg’s target. However, when the police reach out, they insist that it was a random attack.
Overwhelmed by the care given by her family, she rushes out and seeks some peace and quiet in the cafe.
Unfortunately for Zoe, that isn’t going to happen. One of the first people she runs into is a furious Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), who still blames her for the death of her dad Den Watts (Leslie Grantham).
What happened between Zoe and Den?
In 2005, Zoe was roped into one of Den’s many schemes. He asked her to fake a pregnancy with his son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), so that it would end his relationship with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
It was the romance that grossed us all out – two adoptive siblings getting it on – but ultimately, Zoe’s plot was unsuccessful.
Dennis knew that she wasn’t expecting, and so Den decided to impregnate her himself.
Den’s wife Chrissie (Tracy Ann Oberman) discovered his plan, and demanded Zoe get an abortion. The two then formed a plot with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) to teach him a lesson.
The night ended in disaster, as Den launched an attack on Chrissie and Zoe smacked him with a statue.
He lay unconscious on the floor, and as Sam and Zoe left the room, Chrissie discovered he was still alive. She then completed the deed by hitting him again, and pinning the blame on Zoe.
As Vicki had left Walford some months prior, this is her first opportunity to confront Zoe – and there’s 20 years worth of fury building up.
Zoe comes clean
During the altercation, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey) are forced to separate the women.
Zoe is shaken, and Vicki hasn’t calmed down. She follows her nemesis into The Vic, and the argument continues.
The Slaters rally around to support Zoe, but when she learns that cousin Freddie (Bobby Brazier) and grandma Mo (Laila Morse) have shared details of her ordeal online – which was swiftly picked up by the Walford Gazette – she’s alarmed.
This could, of course, point Greg in her direction.
Fearing the worst, she leaves a message with a face from her past. Who could it be?
In true Zoe style, she then decides to run. She begins to pack her bags, but is caught in the act by Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
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Stace’ begs her to stay, and at this point, learns that Zoe had a fight with Greg and that she thinks he could be dead. She heads to Jack for some advice, but given his own mixup in the situation, he refuses to get involved.
The next day, wanting to be sure of the situation they’re dealing with, Stacey whisks Zoe off to Greg’s place as they wait patiently to see if he emerges.
Is Greg still alive?
