While Celia and Ray are steering the story toward a cruel twist, Emmerdale throws another devastating blow in a very realistic way: Rhona Goskirk does something to her own mother, Mary Goskirk, that leaves everyone stunned.

Mary’s return to the village should have been a heartwarming moment, a chance for family reconciliation.

But no, this return is overshadowed by the fear of Celia.

Rhona tries to push Mary away, and the way Rhona does it is considered excessive, not a simple “advice for her mother to rest,” but a sudden and cold blow that makes Mary feel like she’s been removed from her daughter’s life.

On the surface, Rhona appears to be a terrible daughter. But in the current context, Rhona is being pushed to the point where her survival instinct takes over, overshadowing kindness. Rhona understood Celia’s workings: Celia didn’t need a direct attack to win; she only needed an emotional hostage to bring her opponent down. For Rhona, Mary was her weakest point. If Mary stayed in the village and inadvertently uncovered the secret, she could become a target, or worse, a pawn to silence Rhona. And Rhona couldn’t bear that prospect.

So Rhona chose the extreme: removing Mary from the game before Celia could target her. The problem is, when people panic, they often choose the wrong approach. Rhona not only wanted Mary to leave, but wanted her to leave immediately, quickly, without a chance to argue. This haste turned affection into hurt. Mary was sensitive, and being “pushed away” in this way by her own daughter would shatter her trust deeply. Once trust is broken, Mary will no longer be easily appeased, and she will certainly try to stay and demand an explanation, which is exactly what Rhona fears most.