Watchers saw Belle eventually find the strength to file for divorce from veterinarian Tom, which only made him act even more vilely.
Emmerdale fans are sure that the villainous Tom King will soon face his downfall, and Piper might play a key part. Viewers have seen the character Tom, portrayed by James Chase, subjecting his wife Belle Dingle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper, to a harrowing ordeal of emotional and physical abuse for months.
Belle finally mustered the courage to end her marriage with vet Tom, which only led him to escalate his vile behaviour. In a recent twist, he cruelly deceived Belle into believing her cherished dog Piper had been killed after he hit her with his car.
Tom’s twisted scheme aimed to draw Belle emotionally closer to him, but it backfired spectacularly. After staging a fake funeral for Piper, Tom was later shown handing the dog over to another family, ‘falsely claiming she came from an ‘abusive’ home.
But Belle grew suspicious and deduced that Tom was behind Piper’s supposed “accident”
In a tense confrontation, Tom menacingly threatened Belle and even attempted to gaslight her into thinking the abuse was a figment of her imagination. Despite the intimidation, Belle fought back by contacting the police and invoking Clare’s Law to request information on Tom’s past, wondering if he had a history of abusing previous partners.
Yet, some viewers believe that Piper will eventually return to Belle, signalling the imminent downfall of Tom.
Emmerdale enthusiasts have been sharing their theories on Reddit about the fate of Tom, with one viewer sparking a debate by asking: “Why do people think Piper will kill Tom? ” This led to creative speculations that Piper the dog might inadvertently cause Tom’s demise.
One avid viewer responded: “The only way Piper could realistically kill Tom would be if he was to trip over her, fall, and crack his head open. She’s far too tiny to be able to savage him to death, sadly.”
Another explained the logic behind gifting Belle a smaller breed: “Which is precisely why he got Belle a small dog instead of, say, an Alsatian, which would undoubtedly have fought back, defended Belle, and likely have attacked Tom about 45 times a week. Smaller dogs are easier for cowardly Tom to bully and control.”
Chipping in, a second fan hypothesised: “The only way I could see that theory working is if she was to run off from the new owners and find her way back to Belle’s. The dog runs out as Tom is driving, he swerves and hits a tree killing him instantly.”
Belle Dingle has been subjected to domestic abuse by Tom King in recent months on Emmerdale(Image: ITV)
A different fan conjured up other scenarios: “There are plenty of roundabout ways she could be his undoing. He could trip over her and slash his neck on a shard of Lisa’s urn that wasn’t cleared up.”
For instance, one speculated about a fiery end: “She could escape and come home, just as Tom is about to burn the house down. He spills petrol over himself and accidentally sets himself on fire, as she escapes through a catflap.”
Finally, another suggested a grim twist: “He’s in the house, checking cameras, or just smugly laughing to himself. She comes home, he tries to catch her, but trips and breaks his neck. As he’s lying there, paralysed, Piper sits on his face and waits for Belle to come home to find his corpse.”
Meanwhile, another enthusiast succinctly put it: “Cause Piper is the hero we all deserve. GOATed.”
