Heartbreak and shock ripple through Summer Bay in an upcoming week of Home and Away, as Roo Stewart is forced to confront a devastating truth about her troubled foster child, Eliza.

What began as an act of compassion soon spirals into one of the most disturbing storylines the community has faced in years—ultimately leading Roo to make a painful decision she never imagined.

For Roo, fostering had been a deeply personal mission. After signing up with a fostering agency more than a year ago, she had hoped to offer a safe home to a child in need.

When 14-year-old Eliza arrived in Summer Bay as an emergency placement two months ago, Roo believed she could finally make a real difference.

Eliza’s story was tragic. Removed from her parents at a young age, she had spent most of her childhood being raised by her grandmother. But when her grandmother died in a tragic fall down the stairs four years earlier, Eliza was thrust into the care system. Her life became a series of temporary homes and disrupted relationships, leaving deep emotional scars.

By the time she arrived at Roo’s doorstep, Eliza had already endured another traumatic event—her previous foster home had been destroyed in a mysterious fire. The only item she managed to save was a small musical jewellery box, which she guarded fiercely.

At first, Roo viewed the box as a sentimental keepsake tied to Eliza’s painful past. But as time passed, its contents raised troubling questions.

Inside were unusual objects: a lock of hair, a family photograph with the faces of her parents violently scratched out, and a lighter. Each item hinted at something darker beneath Eliza’s quiet exterior.

From the beginning, Marilyn Chambers sensed that something was not right. Eliza quickly developed an intense dislike for Marilyn, even making subtle threats that left her deeply uneasy.

Concerned, Marilyn began digging into the teenager’s history. What she discovered only heightened her fears: Eliza’s previous foster carers had suspected that she might have been responsible for the fire that destroyed their home.

The tension escalated further when Eliza threatened another young participant in Tane Parata’s youth program with a broken bottle.

Fearing for her safety, Marilyn made the difficult decision to move out of the Stewart house and stay with Irene instead. Her departure caused a painful rift between her and Roo Stewart, who believed Marilyn was judging the troubled teenager too quickly.

But Marilyn refused to back down. She warned Roo that Eliza could be dangerous.

At first, Roo defended the girl, convinced that compassion and patience could help her heal. Yet doubts began creeping in when she discovered even more disturbing items hidden inside Eliza’s jewellery box—including Alf Stewart’s missing fishing knife.

Eliza offered an explanation, claiming the objects held special memories. She insisted that the day she spent fishing with Alf had made her feel as though she finally had a grandfather again.

Still, the unease lingered.

Another troubling situation emerged when Eliza began showing an unsettling fascination with Harper Matheson’s pregnancy. On more than one occasion, she touched Harper’s belly without permission, asking questions that made the expectant mother uncomfortable.

The situation turned frightening during a bushwalk the two shared.

Harper unexpectedly went into labor despite already being scheduled for a medically necessary cesarean section due to complications. In a moment of crisis, Eliza claimed she would call an ambulance.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she watched.

As Harper struggled through intense pain in the wilderness, Eliza appeared strangely fascinated by the unfolding situation. Eventually, Tane and Levi arrived to help, and Harper safely delivered her baby.

But what shocked everyone most came afterward.

Eliza had secretly filmed the entire ordeal.

When she later showed the video to Roo, her detached reaction sent chills down Roo’s spine. What should have been a terrifying emergency seemed to hold a disturbing fascination for the teenager.

The alarm bells grew even louder when Levi Fowler saw the footage. He questioned whether Eliza had been expecting to record a miraculous birth—or something far darker.

Soon after, another terrifying incident forced Roo to face the possibility that Marilyn had been right all along.

While alone with Alf at the bait shop, the elderly Stewart suddenly experienced severe chest pains. He begged Eliza to find his medication and call for help.

But instead of acting quickly, Eliza stood by.

She later claimed she couldn’t find the pills and said the phone wasn’t working. In reality, she had taken the medication and hidden it away.

By sheer luck, a passerby arrived and helped Alf reach home, where another supply of medicine was available.

When Roo learned what had happened, the realization was horrifying. Eliza had effectively left Alf’s life hanging in the balance.

Finally acknowledging the truth she had resisted for weeks, Roo apologized to Marilyn for doubting her.

In a heartbreaking confession, Roo admitted she now believed Eliza might have been willing to let Alf die.

Even then, Roo struggled with what to do next. She had promised herself she would never give up on the girl.

But as the situation continued to unravel, it became clear that Eliza needed help far beyond what Roo could provide.

The final blow came when Harper and Tane discovered Eliza had never actually called emergency services during the bushwalk incident. Checking Harper’s phone records confirmed the truth: Eliza had deliberately left her to face labor alone.

Confronting Eliza about the stolen medication, Roo received a chilling response.

When asked if she had truly wanted to watch Alf die, Eliza simply replied: “What if I did?”

The confession shattered Roo completely.

Shortly afterward, authorities stepped in. After speaking with Eliza’s caseworker, the decision was made: the teenager would be removed from Roo’s care and placed in a facility where she could receive professional help.

When Roo finally broke the news to Eliza, the girl broke down in tears, begging for another chance.

“I know I’m different,” she pleaded. “Please don’t make me go.”

But the heartbreaking truth remained—Roo could no longer protect her.

The next morning, Harper arrived to take Eliza away.

Despite a brief apology to Alf for taking his medication, the damage had already been done. The decision was final.

As Eliza prepared to leave Summer Bay forever, she delivered one last cruel remark to the woman who had tried to save her.

“You’re not as bad as the other carers,” she said bitterly. “You’re worse.”

The words struck Roo deeply, leaving her standing helplessly as the troubled girl disappeared from her life—perhaps forever.

In Summer Bay, the emotional scars of Eliza’s time there may take a long time to heal.