Marlon and Rhona were literally “suffocating,” as Ray had cornered them, demanding £20,000 immediately if they wanted to get April out of danger.

It sounded like a deal, but it was actually blackmail in disguise – pay up or I’ll release her.

The cruelest part was that Ray chose something Marlon and Rhona couldn’t let go of: their daughter’s safety.

So they embarked on a humiliating and desperate money-grabbing spree.

Marlon sold his car, raising a large sum, but it was still not enough; then he gritted his teeth and borrowed more from the bank, essentially accepting the debt in exchange for a glimmer of hope for survival. Rhona was desperate, even rushing veterinary clients to pay early, speaking in a frantic manner that seemed unusual to everyone around her. This “excessive urgency” made those around her suspicious: was Rhona hiding something? Were they being manipulated? With one final payment still outstanding, Rhona became even more flustered, making her more susceptible to making wrong decisions.

Emmerdale knew how to make viewers cringe: you see these two, not inherently bad people, just parents trying to save their child, yet they are forced to lie, to maneuver, to compromise their dignity to buy peace. It seemed as though the money would calm things down, but Ray turned the tables in true power-obsessed fashion: he didn’t just want money, he wanted control. Once Marlon and Rhona paid, Ray understood they “belonged” to him, and from then on, Ray would always have a reason to demand more, threaten more, and pressure them further, because he knew they would be afraid.