A Fragile Hope

After months of heartbreak, Sarah Horton Kiriakis is determined to salvage her marriage. She believes that therapy could finally help her and Xander move forward. With renewed optimism, she prepares for their first session with renowned therapist Marina Evans. For Sarah, this isn’t just counseling — it’s a lifeline.

She spends er days imagining a world where her little family is whole again. She redecorates their bedroom, lights candles, and buys new linens, envisioning the romance she’s certain will return. Even her friends notice the change — the soft hope in her smile when she talks about Xander’s progress in anger management. For the first time in a long while, she allows herself to believe in forgiveness.

But beneath that fragile hope lies a truth too dark to ignore — and it’s about to blow everything apart.

Xander’s Guilt and the Secret He Can’t Bury

While Sarah prepares for their session, Xander is crumbling inside. He’s haunted by a secret that’s been eating him alive — one that could destroy not just his marriage, but his entire life.

Sarah believes Xander is innocent of attacking Philip Kiriakis. She once accused him, then begged forgiveness when she thought she was wrong. Her guilt over the accusation became the foundation of their reconciliation. But Sarah’s instincts were never wrong.

Because the truth is horrifying: Xander did attack Philip — brutally. In a fit of jealous rage and betrayal, he tracked his half-brother down and beat him nearly to death. When Philip lay unconscious in a hospital bed, Xander returned to finish the job — pressing a pillow against his brother’s face until a nurse walked in, saving Philip’s life.

The guilt has been gnawing at him ever since. Yet he’s maintained the lie, convincing everyone — even Sarah — of his innocence. But as their therapy session nears, the walls are closing in.

The Therapy Trap

What Xander doesn’t know is that Marina Evans isn’t just any therapist — she’s one of Salem’s sharpest minds, known for cutting through lies like a scalpel. And when Xander and Sarah sit down on that couch, his calm facade begins to crack.

Sarah speaks first, her words soft and filled with love as she describes how far they’ve come. She talks about Xander’s “growth,” his “strength,” and his devotion to their daughter, Victoria. Her faith in him is unshakable — and it’s killing him.

When Marina turns to Xander, his voice falters. His answers are short, clipped, and defensive. Marina watches closely. Years of experience tell her that something isn’t right.

She gently asks him about anger, about control, about that infamous “misunderstanding” with Philip. The color drains from Xander’s face. The tension in the room thickens.

And then, like a cornered animal, he explodes.

The Outburst

Xander shoots to his feet, his voice booming. He lashes out — not at Sarah, but at Marina — accusing her of prying, of manipulating his emotions. The sudden rage fills the room, shocking Sarah to her core. She’s never seen him lose control like this in a setting meant for healing.

Marina stays calm but firm, observing that his reaction is wildly disproportionate. She suggests there might be something deeper — something he’s hiding.

Sarah’s heart starts pounding. Her medical training, her intuition, everything inside her screams that something’s terribly wrong. The man before her isn’t an innocent husband fighting to save his marriage — he’s a man consumed by guilt.

And then it hits her.

Her voice trembles as she whispers the words that change everything:
“Xander… did you attack Philip?”

The Collapse

Silence. Heavy, suffocating silence.

Xander can’t answer. His lips part, but no sound comes out. His eyes dart away — and that’s all Sarah needs to see. The truth is written on his face.

Before he can respond, Sarah’s phone rings. It’s an emergency call from the hospital. Philip Kiriakis has regained consciousness — and he’s demanding to speak to the police.

The air leaves the room. Sarah’s hand trembles as she listens to the call, her gaze never leaving Xander’s haunted expression. Every piece of her world crumbles in that moment. The man she fought to forgive, the father of her child — a monster in disguise.

The Arrest

Moments later, chaos consumes Salem. At the hospital, the police gather around Philip’s room, ready to take his statement. But Philip claims he can’t remember who attacked him. It seems Xander’s secret might stay buried a little longer — until fate intervenes.

A hospital technician uncovers new security footage from the night of the attack. The footage shows Xander entering Philip’s room, pillow in hand, his face twisted in rage. The proof is undeniable.

As Sarah and Xander leave their disastrous therapy session in stunned silence, flashing lights illuminate the street outside. Police cars swarm the area. Officers approach.

“Xander Kiriakis,” one of them says, voice firm. “You’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Philip Kiriakis.”

Sarah can’t move. She watches in frozen horror as the man she once loved is handcuffed before her eyes. Xander collapses under the weight of it all — his secret, his guilt, his lies — his body trembling as reality finally crashes down.

A Marriage Shattered

For Sarah, it’s the final heartbreak. The therapy session that was meant to save their marriage has destroyed it. She stands outside Marina’s office as the police car drives away, her tears mixing with the night rain.

All the dreams she built — the bedroom she redecorated, the candles, the quiet hope — vanish like smoke. The man she trusted has been lying to her from the start.

And the question that echoes in her mind as the sirens fade is one that Days fans will feel in their bones:
Did she ever really know the man she married?

Coming Up Next on “Days of Our Lives”

Just when you think Salem can’t get any more explosive, it does. Sarah’s world continues to spiral as she stumbles upon another life-altering revelation — Sophia’s shocking baby secret. Meanwhile, Johnny and Chanel finally connect the dots about the mysterious figure tormenting them, leading to a revelation that rocks Salem’s social circles.

From confessions to confrontations, Days of Our Lives is serving up heartbreak, revenge, and jaw-dropping twists that will leave fans gasping.

Because in Salem, one thing is always certain:
The truth never stays buried — and it always comes with consequences.