Denise Fox (Diane Parish) is left in turmoil as she tries to hide a traumatic secret in upcoming EastEnders scenes.
Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) is finally set to return to Albert Square next week, and an awful lot has happened in his absence.
While he was away, Denise’s marriage to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) came to an end when his affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was exposed.
Denise also spent time in hospital after being sectioned, having been suffering with a psychotic episode following Keanu Taylor’s murder.
Though it doesn’t take long for Patrick to discover Denise’s marital problems, and the fact she is now living with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), she is eager to keep her hospital stay a secret, and begs Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) not to tell him.
However, Patrick can sense that they are hiding something from him, and is determined to get to the bottom of it.
He soon organises a family meal for Denise, Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams) and the kids, where he tries to find out why Denise isn’t angry about Jack’s betrayal.
Viewers will know that Jack recently discovered the truth about Keanu’s murder and helped Denise to retrieve her lost necklace from his grave, which has somewhat repaired their fractured relationship.
Despite being busy with her fundraiser, Yolande agrees to join the family for the meal, but when Pastor Clayton (Howard Saddler) arrives, she invites him to join them too.
As it becomes clear that the Pastor knows more about Denise’s struggles than he does, Patrick grows jealous of his closeness to the family.
Will Patrick be able to get Denise to open up and reveal her traumatic secret?
