DAYS OF OUR LIVES: SARAH ATTACKS EJ DIMERA — BUT IS XANDER THE REAL TARGET?

TL;DR: On October 20’s Days of Our Lives, Sarah Horton confronts EJ DiMera at University Hospital about his controversial leadership, leading to an explosive outburst. A follow-up therapy session with Marlena Evans reveals Sarah’s anger is actually displaced rage toward her husband Xander Cook, setting up a marriage-defining confrontation by week’s end.

Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) is about to have a major meltdown at University Hospital, but the real drama has nothing to do with hospital policy. When she goes off on EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) on Monday, October 20, she’ll be venting years of accumulated trauma and fear—emotions she’s too terrified to direct at their actual source: her volatile husband, Xander Cook (Paul Telfer).

What Happens to Sarah Horton on Days of Our Lives This Week?

Sarah explodes at EJ over his handling of University Hospital, accusing him of being heartless and controlling. Fresh off a tense couples therapy session with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) where she admitted she lies to Xander because she’s afraid of his violent reactions, Sarah is a powder keg of unprocessed emotion. When EJ implements changes at the hospital where she works, he becomes the perfect target for all her pent-up rage.

But here’s the kicker: Sarah isn’t really mad at EJ. She’s terrified of her own husband.

Why Is Sarah Really So Angry?

Sarah’s psychological state is shaped by a devastating history of trauma. She lost her infant daughter Mackenzie when Xander and Victor Kiriakis orchestrated a baby swap to “protect” her from grief—only for her to discover the child she’d been raising for a year was actually Kristen DiMera and Brady Black’s daughter, Rachel. Her biological baby had died shortly after birth in a car accident.

That betrayal triggered a complete psychotic break. Sarah kidnapped Rachel and fled to Paris, living under the delusion the child was still hers.

Then came more trauma: Kristen later abducted Sarah on her wedding day, drugged her, and shipped her to a deserted island where she developed drug-induced amnesia and believed she was someone else entirely. Most recently, Sarah was paralyzed in a hit-and-run orchestrated by Xander’s mother, Fiona Cook.

Every single one of these traumas involves powerful, controlling men and women who manipulated her life. Xander’s pattern of “protective” lies has conditioned Sarah to live in constant fear of his explosive temper. She’s currently in therapy specifically because she can’t trust him and is afraid of what he’ll do when angry.

Is EJ DiMera Really the Problem?

No, EJ is just a convenient stand-in. Both EJ and Xander share the same archetype: violent men with criminal pasts who believe their love for one woman justifies their heinous actions. EJ coerced Sami Brady into sex (resulting in the conception of their son Johnny), kidnapped his own daughter, and has a decades-long history of corporate sabotage and manipulation as the son of crime lord Stefano DiMera.

Xander was literally a hitman for Victor before Sarah reformed him. He’s still the same man who once trapped Eric Brady and Nicole Walker in a furnace room and tried to kill them. That monster is still inside him—Sarah sees it every time he clenches his jaw in anger.

When EJ takes over as her boss and starts making controlling decisions, Sarah’s trauma brain sees him as another Xander. It’s psychological transference. She can’t safely confront her husband about his rage issues without risking her marriage, so she explodes at EJ instead.

What Does Marlena Tell Sarah?

On Tuesday, October 21, Sarah returns to Marlena’s office to process what just happened. Marlena, Salem’s most experienced psychiatrist with decades of untangling complex emotional messes, is uniquely positioned to connect the dots. The therapy session will likely reveal the uncomfortable truth: Sarah’s intense reaction to EJ is misplaced anger that really belongs with Xander.

This realization is the catalyst Sarah needs to finally confront the real problem in her life—not her boss, but her husband.

Does Sarah Confront Xander About His Lies?

Yes, by Friday, October 24, Sarah forces Xander to reveal a key truth. Having “rehearsed” her confrontation on EJ and armed with Marlena’s therapeutic insights, Sarah is finally ready to demand honesty from her husband. This showdown will escalate their marriage crisis from a cold war of therapy sessions and unspoken fears into open, volatile conflict.

The question isn’t whether they’ll fight—it’s whether their marriage can survive the truth.

What’s Next for Sarah and Xander?

Could this mean the end of their marriage? Given Sarah’s history of extreme reactions to emotional pain (kidnapping a baby, fleeing to Paris in a delusional state), don’t be surprised if she considers leaving Xander once she fully processes how afraid she is of him.

This likely leads to the emergence of a love triangle. Spoilers hint that Brady Black may develop romantic feelings for Sarah, offering her a “safer” alternative to her volatile husband. Brady doesn’t have Xander’s history of monstrous behavior, making him an attractive option for a woman desperate to feel secure.

If I know these writers, Sarah’s initial outburst at EJ is just the beginning. Her public opposition to his hospital leadership positions her as a potential leader for any staff rebellion—and possibly the person who eventually uncovers whatever sinister plan EJ has for University Hospital. Could his takeover be connected to Dr. Rolf and some secret lab experiment? Something tells me Sarah’s personal drama is about to intersect with a much bigger, more dangerous mystery.

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