Mercedes McQueen survived a very close encounter with murderous Breda McQueen in Wednesday's (July 3) first-look Hollyoaks episode on E4.
Earlier this week, Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) once again ended up on serial killer Breda's (Moya Brady) hit list when she confessed to Sylver (David Tag) that her drugs relapse was responsible for driving Max away.
Mercedes retreated to The Loft, where Liam Donovan (Jude Monk McGowan) surprisingly encouraged her to make things right with Sylver. Back at home, Breda slipped a mallet into her bag out of Sylver's eyeline and assured Mercedes that she'd have a heart-to-heart with Mercedes.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you and Bobby safe," she ominously assured him.
Mercedes arrived home soon after, only to find Breda stepping out of the shadows in spine-chilling fashion.
"I've done everything I can to make you a better person," Breda callously claimed. "A better wife. A better mother. But I've been thwarted at every turn. Why? Because you're beyond help. You've got the devil inside you, girl."
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A tussle ensued when Breda revealed that she had Sylver and Bobby living with her at Goldie's house so she can "keep them safe", with Mercedes warning her never to try taking away her child.
"Get your hands off me, or I'll add assault to the petition for custody along with drug use," Breda threatened.
As a furious Mercedes turned her back to leave the room, Breda reached into her bag to grab the mallet and swung — but an unsuspecting Mercedes had shut the door behind her before Breda could brain her.
Mercedes rushed over to Goldie's, where she had screaming match with Sylver and Breda right in front of Bobby. It got to be too tense for the boy, who begged them to stop fighting as he ran upstairs.
"I'm not normal, Am I? I'm not wired up right," Mercedes then confessed to her husband. "I have this amazing husband, a gorgeous boy. A pub. I mean, I own a pub. And I should be happy. I am happy. I just live in constant fear that it's all going to be taken away."
She went on: "I know I've done some things I can't take back, but we'll get through this. We have to get through this!"
Mercedes held out her hand out as she promised to get clean once and for all, and after a momentary hesitation, Sylver reached out to show his affection.
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"I swear to you, I will never, ever touch that stuff again," she promised.
A reconciliation for the couple was the last thing Breda wanted to see, but Sylver put her in her place by ordering her to accept them as a family or get out of their lives.
However, the episode left off on a sombre note as Mercedes broke down after telling Sylver she loved him and getting no response in return.
Is it even possible to save the relationship now, and has Breda truly dropped her vendetta?
Hollyoaks airs Mondays through Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing on E4 at 7pm.
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