Tensions reach breaking point in EastEnders this week as Vicki Fowler confronts Zoe Slater in a fiery clash that brings years of bitterness and betrayal to the surface. The emotional encounter sees past traumas resurface, with devastating consequences for both women.

Fresh from a near-death experience, Zoe is still struggling to recover after being caught in a recent shooting incident. Though the police insist the attack wasn’t targeted, the aftermath has left her shaken and disoriented. The Slaters rally around her upon her return home, but their support isn’t enough to settle the anxiety Zoe is experiencing beneath the surface.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of her return and the weight of her trauma, Zoe rushes out of the house, needing space to breathe. But what she finds instead is confrontation.

At the Café, Zoe crosses paths with Vicki, and the long-simmering tension between them finally erupts. The bitterness between the two stretches back years, tied to one of EastEnders’ most explosive storylines, the scandal surrounding Den Watts. Vicki, Den’s daughter, still carries the emotional scars of those events, and her anger towards Zoe hasn’t faded with time.

Unable to hold back, Vicki lashes out, accusing Zoe of tearing her family apart all those years ago. The intensity of the argument draws in Kathy Beale and Anthony Trueman, who step in to diffuse the situation, but the damage is already done.

Even after the confrontation is broken up, the anger doesn’t subside. Vicki follows Zoe to The Albert, continuing their argument in an even more public setting. Zoe, already rattled from the shooting and Vicki’s initial outburst, struggles to defend herself as old grievances are aired in front of stunned bystanders.

While the public nature of the fight is shocking enough, Zoe’s personal sense of safety takes another hit later that evening. Hoping to find solace with her family, she joins the Slaters at The Queen Vic, but instead learns that Freddie and Mo have shared the details of her shooting online. The incident has been picked up by a local newspaper, putting Zoe’s story and her trauma in the public eye.

This betrayal of her privacy leaves Zoe feeling even more isolated. What should have been a stress-free return to rebuild her life has turned into a nightmare of media attention, public scrutiny, and unresolved family drama. The combination of Vicki’s outburst and the online exposure proves to be too much for Zoe, who begins to unravel under the pressure.

Zoe, clearly overwhelmed from the events of the past few days, steps out of The Vic for a moment’s peace. With nowhere else to turn, she leaves a message for someone from her past, a figure not yet revealed, but clearly significant enough for Zoe to reach out to in her moment of crisis. The identity of the person she contacts remains a mystery with fans wondering who she would turn to in her time of need?