What should be a wonderful homecoming for Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) next week in Emmerdale is marred with guilt and regret as wife Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is still tortured by the possibility that she’s carrying Ross Barton’s (Michael Parr) baby.
Mack and Charity’s marriage had hit the rocks hard prior to his imprisonment in the dreaded bunker over her decision to act as a surrogate for granddaughter Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill), following her rejection from several agencies due to her fanconi anemia diagnosis.
Mack confessed to sister Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) that he’d only agreed to the surrogacy as the likelihood of success was low, at it seemed they’d avoided conflict when the surrogacy failed.
But when a second attempt proved successful and with Charity’s head elsewhere, a drunken Mack took his wife to task, and it seemed as though their relationship was over for good.
Mack later discovered the truth about deeply dangerous John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) and his involvement in the death of Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) and found himself at the unhinged medic’s mercy, with Mack seemingly killed at John’s hands.
While John hadn’t finished Mack, he did seal him in an underground bunker, creating an A.I voice note that he sent to Charity to make it seem as though he’d left for good.
Charity, meanwhile, was dealing with the realisation that the baby she’s carrying may not be Sarah’s after all, and could, in fact, be the product of a one night stand with Ross Barton (Michael Parr).
Charity has thus far managed to conceal her predicament, with only Ross and (sort of) Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) aware.
As the days ticked by for poor Mack, locked away in his prison, he was finally discovered when best friend Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) heard Mack’s cries for help.
Unfortunately for Mack, Aaron ended up plummeting from a gorge. When he awoke from his injuries, he let everyone know of Mack’s fate and Charity rushed off to save her husband, though found the bunker empty.
John, feeling an incredible pang of guilt, had taken Mack to the hospital before scarpering. When Mack woke up, he found Charity, waiting at his bedside.
With Mack due to finally come home following his horrifying ordeal, a tortured Charity panics. Can she keep her guilty conscience in check? Or will John discover the truth about her indiscretion with Ross?
