EMMERDALE fans are heartbroken for Lydia Dingle as she suffered in silence after her rape ordeal.
The cleaner – who is played by actress Karen Blick in the ITV soap – was brutally raped by boss Craig earlier this week after he lured her to the office and forced himself onto her.
Viewers know Craig was the father of the baby Lydia had stillborn as a teenager.
They recently reunited by chance and he offered Lydia a job at his software company as a cleaner.
But when she realised he was getting the wrong impression, she went to quit – and he raped her.
Lydia kept quiet about her ordeal and even burned the clothes she was wearing during the attack in an attempt to forget about it.
But tonight when stepson Samson asked her to help him with the beginning of his internship at Craig’s company, she ended up going into the office with him.
And once she was alone, Craig quickly tracked her down and sent Samson to the free canteen.
In a sickening twist he tried to gaslight her, telling her: “Running away from what happened won’t help anyone, will it?
“What happened, happened. And if we’re honest we both knew it would – there’s too much unfinished business.”
As Lydia insisted that she said no, Craig told her: “That’s the guilt talking.
“You do something on impulse because you can’t help yourself and then when it’s over and life goes back to normal, you feel bad for letting yourself give into temptation.
“I know it was a mistake, you’ve got a family and a life, but I don’t regret it. I’ve spent too long dreaming of being close to you again.”
Lydia rushed off with Samson and went home where she desperately tried to keep herself together, but once Samson and Sam began talking about what a good guy Craig is things became too much.
Rushing upstairs saying she wanted an early night, Lydia collapsed and began silently sobbing over her ordeal, and fans were heartbroken for her.
One wrote: “My heart breaks for Lydia I have a feeling she will end up pregnant in a cruel twist…”
A second said: “It’s hard to feel sad for Lydia, considering she did everything NOT to get any justice or even revenge.”
Another added: “I can’t tolerate this rape story any longer….and it was only a matter of days ago. Lydia is punishing herself and suffering in silence. It’s all kinds of wrong.”
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