Coming up on Days of Our Lives during the week of May 12–16, an emotional storm is brewing that will rock Salem — and no one will be spared, especially EJ, Belle, Kristen, Brady, and their troubled daughter Rachel Black. What should have been a joyful birthday celebration spirals into chaos and ends with a disturbing discovery that could change everything.

Let’s begin with Rachel’s birthday party, which starts off as an intimate gathering between her and her parents, Kristen DiMera and Brady Black. With tension already high due to concerns from Child Protective Services, Brady and Kristen are determined to make the day perfect. But despite the carefully decorated unicorn cake and well-wrapped presents, things unravel fast.

Rachel has been struggling for some time now. She’s been closed off, therapy hasn’t been helping, and her behavior has been raising red flags at school. The tension between her parents over her wellbeing has been building—and now it’s about to explode.

As the birthday begins, Rachel seems withdrawn. Her excitement is missing, and the absence of friends only fuels her resentment. When she learns that no one else was invited, she lashes out. Her emotions boil over as she accuses her parents of thinking she’s broken and treating her like she’s some kind of ticking time bomb. In a shocking moment of rage, she overturns the birthday table, sending gifts flying and collapsing into Kristen’s arms in sobs.

This meltdown isn’t just the frustration of a child. Kristen and Brady both realize that something much deeper is troubling Rachel — and they’re about to find out just how dark her secrets may be.

Later that afternoon, while the ruined cake sits untouched and the air is heavy with tension, the couple receives an unexpected visitor: Chad DiMera. With a grim expression, Chad reveals that new security footage has surfaced related to the night EJ was shot. And it raises more questions than answers.

The footage wasn’t captured by the mansion’s cameras—but from a building across the alley. It shows a small figure sneaking into the DiMera mansion just before the time of the shooting. Shockingly, the figure appears to be a child wearing a distinct pink hoodie — the same one Rachel owns, complete with the unicorn patch.

Kristen’s immediate reaction is denial. Rachel was asleep upstairs, wasn’t she? But Brady and Kristen both exchange a nervous glance. They had never actually checked. They had taken Rachel’s word for it.

That night, after Brady leaves and Rachel goes to bed, Kristen is unable to let it go. She quietly enters her daughter’s room and searches the dresser. The pink hoodie is there, folded neatly… but when Kristen turns it inside out, her blood runs cold. There, on the sleeve, is a faint smear of blood. Kristen drops the hoodie in horror. Brady, having returned to grab his forgotten phone, finds her sitting on the stairs, pale and shaken, clutching the stained garment.

“She was there,” Kristen whispers. “Rachel was there the night EJ was shot.”

The next morning, Brady and Kristen sit Rachel down, the celebration forgotten. No balloons. No presents. Just heavy questions. Rachel squirms under their gaze until Brady gently asks, “Were you awake the night EJ was shot?”

At first, Rachel is silent. But as they mention the hoodie and the blood, her defenses start to crumble. Tears fill her eyes as she confesses, “I didn’t mean to hurt him…”

According to Rachel, that night she heard yelling — a fight between EJ and someone else. Curious and angry, she crept downstairs wearing her favorite hoodie. She hadn’t intended to confront anyone, but something EJ said triggered her deeply. He spoke harshly about Kristen, and about Rachel being “better off without certain influences.” That’s when Rachel snapped.

She admits to grabbing something — a fireplace poker or a heavy object — and confronting EJ. Everything happened so fast. There was shouting… then a flash… then silence. The next thing she remembers is running back upstairs and climbing into bed, pretending to be asleep.

Kristen and Brady are devastated. The implications are staggering — not only could they lose custody of Rachel, but she could also face serious charges. Even worse, this could explain the recent unraveling of EJ and Belle’s already strained relationship.

EJ Leaves Belle — But Why?
In a shocking twist, EJ decides to abruptly walk away from Belle. While many assumed it was due to Belle’s unresolved loyalty to Shawn or her complicated past, EJ’s real reason is far more jarring: he suspects Belle might be covering up something about Rachel. He feels betrayed, convinced that she knew more than she let on and perhaps even tried to shield Kristen and Brady.

With this new suspicion, EJ packs his things and leaves, warning Belle not to follow. The emotional fallout is immediate. Belle, caught between her loyalty to Rachel’s family and her crumbling relationship with EJ, is left reeling.

Meanwhile, Kristen and Brady are faced with an impossible choice: protect their daughter and risk everything… or come clean and let Rachel face the consequences.

What started as a child’s birthday party has now become a ticking time bomb of emotional and legal consequences. Secrets never stay buried for long in Salem — and the truth about EJ’s shooter may be the most explosive one yet.