Chaos, fear, and heartbreak are about to rip through Salem as Days of Our Lives prepares to unleash one of its darkest and most explosive storylines yet—one that centers on Rachel Black, whose dangerous obsession and spiraling mental instability push her to commit a calculated act that nearly kills Sarah Horton. What begins as a tense two-week stretch between November 17th and 28th transforms into a horrifying tragedy when a young girl crosses a line there is no coming back from. Rachel’s deliberate poisoning of Sarah with pistachios sets off a chain reaction of grief, rage, shattered families, resurfacing memories, and the terrifying realization that a child may be headed for prison after attempting murder.

At the same time, Salem braces for another devastating emotional blow—the absolute end of Xander Kiriakis and Sarah Horton’s marriage. Their relationship, once passionate and resilient, finally collapses under the weight of betrayal, trauma, and Xander’s violent past. The divorce papers represent a grim finality neither of them can escape. But before the ink even dries, Xander’s volcanic temper erupts when he discovers that Brady Black has been pursuing Sarah romantically, stirring jealousy and unleashing years of buried animosity between the two rivals. Their confrontation becomes a brutal showdown. Xander demands Brady stay away from Sarah, but Brady stands firm, reminding him coldly and clearly that he no longer holds any claim over Sarah’s life—not emotionally, not legally, and certainly not romantically.

This reality hits Xander with crushing force. The truth that Sarah is no longer his shakes him to his core, pushing him toward a moment of painful acceptance. One of the most emotionally devastating scenes of the storyline unfolds when Xander arranges a final private meeting with Sarah. There, they sign their divorce papers—closing the book on a marriage battered by baby swaps, betrayals, lies, and the violent attack that destroyed Sarah’s trust forever. Their hearts still ache with leftover love, but both know the damage is irreparable. Sarah cannot ignore how dangerous Xander can be, and Xander can no longer pretend he hasn’t lost her for good.

But as one relationship dies quietly, another tragedy erupts loudly and violently.

The weekly promotional preview for Days of Our Lives ends with a chilling cliffhanger:
Sarah gasping for breath, fighting for her life, while Brady turns to his daughter with horror—“Rachel… what did you do?”

This moment launches one of the most disturbing arcs the soap has ever handled involving a child. Rachel Black, already showing signs of troubling emotional patterns, has become increasingly unstable. She fixates on any woman who gets close to Brady, clinging to the fantasy that her parents—Brady and Kristen DiMera—should reunite. Sarah’s growing presence in Brady’s life terrifies Rachel, especially since Sarah has been acting as her doctor, helping her navigate trauma from the night EJ DiMera was shot. In Rachel’s mind, Sarah isn’t helping her—Sarah is trying to replace Kristen.

And Rachel decides to eliminate the threat.

The method is as diabolical as it is deadly: pistachios, the exact allergen that previously sent Sarah into anaphylactic shock. During what appears to be an innocent sundae gathering, Rachel sees her opportunity. With cold intention far beyond her years, she prepares Sarah’s dessert with pistachio topping—fully aware that even a trace could kill her. It’s a calculated act of premeditated poisoning, echoing the ruthless tendencies of her mother Kristen and the chilling instability of her grandmother, Rachel Blake. Rachel isn’t acting on impulse. She’s acting with purpose.

But before she does, Rachel corners Brady and Sarah with relentless suspicion. She demands to know if they’re secretly together, dismissing their reassurances and letting paranoia consume her. She has a long history of sabotaging Brady’s relationships—sending threats to Ava Vitali, manipulating situations to break up couples, and lashing out at anyone she believes stands between her parents. But this time, Rachel isn’t just trying to break up a romance—she’s trying to erase it entirely.

When Sarah unknowingly eats the poisoned dessert, the reaction is rapid and horrifying. Her throat tightens, her breathing becomes labored, her face reddens as hives explode across her skin. Panic fills the room as her airway closes. Brady instantly recognizes the signs of anaphylaxis and races to help her—only to realize that his own daughter may have engineered the crisis. The look on his face as he turns to Rachel, demanding the truth, marks the moment he confronts an unthinkable possibility: Rachel didn’t make a mistake… she tried to kill.

Thankfully, emergency intervention saves Sarah’s life. Epinephrine, rushed hospital care, and swift action pull her back from the edge. But surviving the physical attack is only the beginning. The emotional and psychological consequences are just as harrowing. For Rachel, watching someone almost die at her hands triggers something deep—possibly unlocking memories her mind has suppressed. The trauma mirrors another violent incident: the night EJ DiMera was shot. If Rachel truly pulled the trigger, Kristen may have manipulated or pressured her into forgetting. Now, nearly killing Sarah could shatter those mental barriers wide open.

If Rachel’s memories come flooding back—the guilt, the fear, the violence—it could send her into complete psychological collapse. The parallels between the two incidents are undeniable: both involve Rachel causing potentially fatal harm. And this time, she can’t hide behind confusion or manipulation—Brady witnessed everything.

The aftermath is catastrophic. As the truth becomes undeniable, the legal consequences intensify. Unlike the EJ shooting, where Kristen sacrificed herself to shield Rachel, this poisoning has clear evidence, witnesses, and motive. Brady must face the horror of what his daughter has become—not just troubled, but dangerous. Therapy may no longer be enough. Rachel could be facing actual criminal charges, juvenile detention, or even psychological institutionalization. Salem is forced to grapple with the awful reality of a child who tried to commit murder.

The ripple effects tear through every corner of town:

Maggie Horton is devastated, furious that her daughter nearly died because of a child no one realized was this unstable.
Kristen DiMera faces the worst nightmare imaginable: her daughter has become the embodiment of everything the DiMera and Blake bloodlines represent—violence, obsession, manipulation, and the capacity to destroy lives. She can no longer deny the monster she might have helped create.
Xander, despite the divorce, is consumed by guilt and rage, his protective instincts reigniting and pulling him emotionally back toward Sarah.
Brady and Sarah, once hinted at as a budding couple, face an impossible future. How can Sarah look at Brady without remembering the moment his daughter tried to kill her? How can Brady forgive himself for raising a child capable of such harm?

Rachel’s actions are the tragic culmination of her dark lineage: Kristen’s ruthlessness, Rachel Blake’s instability, Stefano’s cold calculation. She has become the next generation of dangerous DiMera women—one who will go farther than anyone expected, even at her young age.

The coming weeks will determine whether Sarah’s survival leads to justice, whether Rachel’s memories of EJ’s shooting resurface, and whether Salem is truly prepared to send a child to prison for a calculated attempt at murder. One thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same again.

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