EastEnders aired the moment Chantelle Atkins finally worked out her plan for freedom in heartbreaking scenes on Friday night.
The character will not get to safety though, as a turn of events leads her back to the Square ahead of her tragic death.
Chantelle will be murdered at the hands of her abusive husband Gray Atkins in upcoming scenes on the BBC soap.
Ahead of the devastating scenes to come, Chantelle knew she must leave her husband as his controlling and violent behaviour had escalated during lockdown.
On Friday night, scenes saw her fear her plans to escape him were over, after he was aggressive towards her once more.
But when her dad Mitch Baker offered her a last-minute holiday, she jumped at the chance and realised this was how she and the kids could leave Gray.
Viewers saw her face change to an expression of hope, desperate to make her escape work.
Mitch asked her to leave with him the following day, and she decided to go with the kids, ready to start her new life.
Later on in the episode, her boss Kheerat Panesar came to the house while she was outside.
Gray had been suspicious that the pair were having a fling, with an innocent Chantelle struggling to convince him he was wrong.
Kheerat does have feelings for her, and he is the only one she has told about her plan to leave Gray.
He told her to consider taking up his offer of staying with him, with him wanting to look after her and the kids knowing something was going on.
As he walked away, Chantelle looked hopeful yet again that she could finally escape her ordeal.
But viewers were left emotional, knowing it would never happen as Chantelle would have her life taken away from her very soon.
EastEnders airs Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
