This article contains spoilers for tonight’s episode of EastEnders, which airs on BBC One at 7.30pm or can be streamed on iPlayer now.
Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) has left EastEnders, after realising she has no future in Albert Square.
It comes at the conclusion of a traumatic few months for the character, who has been grieving for her partner Martin Fowler (James Bye).
To make matters worse, in the wake of his funeral she was accused of setting alight to his fruit and vegetable stall.
Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) immediately pointed the finger at her, confident that she had burnt it down following their earlier altercation.
What happened between Ruby and Stacey in EastEnders?
If you need a refresher, earlier this week, Ruby had asked for the truth about Martin’s final words – and Stacey was forced to admit that he did in fact confess his love for her.
With their relationship more fractured than ever before, it seemed that the former best friends would never see eye-to-eye again.
Their feud was only intensified in yesterday’s instalment, when it transpired that Stacey’s eldest daughter Lily (Lillia Turner) was actually the arsonist.
In a shocking doof doof moment, a picture from the crime scene showed her water bottle – which was filled with vodka – had been used as the accelerant.
Today’s ep picked right up from where we left off, with Lily admitting that she did start the fire, furious that her mum had ruined chances of a happy future with Martin following her infidelity.
Full of regret, she begged her mum not to report her to the police, fearful of losing her own daughter Charli.
Ruby was put in an impossible situation, as with everyone thinking that she committed the crime, she could lose custody of her son Roman.
It was time for her to flee the area – and she darted over to speak with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) so that she could gain some financial independence. By selling Martin’s stall – a Beale family heirloom – to him, they would both benefit.
She then said her goodbyes to Zack Hudson (James Farrar), deciding to make one final trip to the cemetery to pay her respects.
Clueless with how to fix the situation, Stacey tried to apologise, but Ruby didn’t want to hear it. The women ended up at loggerheads again.
It took Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) to drill into her that Ruby is a broken woman, and they shouldn’t allow their bitterness to taint Martin’s memory.
After hearing from Zack that she had already left, Stacey then made her way to the graveside for an emotional heart-to-heart.
But will the women ever be able to admit their equal wrongdoings? And how will Stacey repair her relationship with Lily?
You can find out the answers by tuning into the action-packed episode.
Is Ruby leaving EastEnders for good?
Ruby’s exit has been expected for quite some time, ever since Louisa Lytton teased that she was only returning for an ‘extended’ stint.
It was later confirmed that she would take on the role of Rachel Watson in a production of A Girl on the Train.
The show follows a woman who awaits her daily train journeys so she can get a glimpse of the ‘perfect’ through the window.
When everything suddenly disappears, she is a witness and suspect in a mystery and has to face up to the consequences.
EastEnders continues tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One.
