Poor Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) was fighting tears at the close of the ITV soap’s latest offering, feeling a shell of his former self after a particularly grim showdown with sex abuser Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon).

In a bid to cover her tracks, Megan adopted a particularly cruel approach to dealing with the teen, taking great delight in pulling his character apart in the hopes of discrediting him should a time come when she needs to defend herself from his (very true) accusations.

The Weathy High school teacher, as viewers know, is grooming pupil Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale), who has been gaslit into believe they’re in a genuine relationship.

Ever since her arrival on the eponymous Street, Megan has pulled the wool over just about everyone’s eyes, with the Driscoll clan often singing her praises due to her supposedly training with Will.

Sam, however, was quick to cotton on to what was really happening after overhearing a conversation between Will and Megan, which prompted him to investigate.

Further analysis made him all the more certain that his grim theory was correct and thus he spoke to Will, who swiftly tried to throw him off the scent.

But as Will befriended Sam on the abuser’s request, Megan took the bad cop approach, belittling the schoolboy at every opportunity, from removing his coursework assignment from Daniel Osborne’s (Rob Mallard) marking pile – to ensure he got a late mark – to planting doubts in heads about his capabilities as a student.

This was never more apparent than on Friday as Megan toyed with Sam while his loved ones sat in plain sight, all unaware of the young lad’s plight.

In a bid to get the evidence he needed to prove vile Megan’s abuse, Sam planted a camera at the flat the teacher shares with Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), hoping to acquire some damning footage.

After retrieving his phone from his dad, he watched the recorded videos but was taken aback to find a staged conversation between Megan and Will, in which she urges him to get over the little crush he had on her.

Megan had worked out his plan.

When Sam headed back to the flat to remove the camera, he was horrified to find it missing. Megan took the device. The abuser was elated to pour cold water over his efforts and proceeded to make some vile comments, branding Sam a ‘pervert’ for spying on her and Leanne.

Sam attempted to turn the tables, telling Megan that she was the ‘pervert’ but Megan didn’t back down, insisting that he would end up on the sex offender’s register at 14 years of age for spying on women.

Believing every word sinister Megan spewed, Sam backed down and, sitting in Victoria Garden, he attempted to process her twisted claims as he feared for his future.

A concerned Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) approached, wanting to help his struggling son, but Sam branded him ‘clueless’, believing that no-one can help him.

Because that’s ultimately what Megan wants him to believe – that he’s in the wrong and that his life would be over if he were to speak up.

Will the abuser get her comeuppance and be exposed? If so, will her manipulation and bullying of Sam also be uncovered? Or has Megan successfully covered her tracks?