Laurel confesses all to Jai
SHE REVEALS THE TRUTH TO JAI AFTER ARCHIE IS HURT AGAIN…
Laurel is forced to finally confess Arthur’s cruel abuse of Archie to her partner Jai this week – after the little lad is hurt once again!
When Arthur admitted to his mum a few weeks back that he was responsible for the physical and psychological torment Archie had been suffering, he promised her that he’d stop. So imagine how horrified Laurel is when she finds Archie trapped beneath a cabinet – and he points the finger of blame at Arthur…
“Laurel’s in a really difficult position, because emotions are running high,” explains
Charlotte Bellamy, who plays her. “As a parent, you want to protect your child, but the audience is maybe thinking that what Laurel is doing isn’t the right thing – that telling the truth is the right thing.”
Although Laurel was shocked when Arthur revealed what he had been doing to Archie, she agreed not to tell Jai until after they got back from Sandy’s funeral in Australia. However, she still hasn’t managed to find the right time to confess…
Things become even more tricky for her when Jai suggests that they move in together, and Arthur realises the time has arrived for him to fess up. Yet when he goes to talk to Jai, his mum stops him.
“When it comes to the crunch, Laurel feels she should be the one to tell Jai what happened, rather than putting her son in that vulnerable position,” says Charlotte. “She feels responsible for Arthur’s behaviour, even though he’s old enough to take responsibility for his own actions. Laurel has so much guilt over what Arthur has been through, and she’s aghast about this situation.”
Before Laurel has a chance to sit down and tell Jai what’s happened, however, another terrible accident befalls Archie! Arthur assures his mum he had nothing to do with it this time, but Archie begs to differ. So, with Jai desperately looking
Jai’s stunned that Laurel would keep this from him…”
for answers, Laurel’s only choice is to spill the beans.
“Jai’s stunned that Laurel would keep this from him,” sighs Charlotte. “It’s the initial shock of, ‘You didn’t tell me, you kept it hidden!’, rather than thinking about what Arthur’s actually done to Archie. It’s more about the betrayal from Laurel than the betrayal from Arthur.”
So with the truth now out in the open, what does this mean for Laurel and Jai’s relationship? Can he forgive her for keeping this from him? And will Jai allow his son to move in with the boy who’s been abusing him?
“It’s addressing the issue of blended families,” Charlotte tells us. “It’s an absolute can of worms! It’s been such an interesting topic to tackle, and this story is going to twist and turn for a long, long time…”