Salem has witnessed all kinds of drama, but the moment Kristen DiMera stands before Peter’s ventilator, her eyes filled with tears upon hearing the news that Rachel is accused of shooting someone – that is the height of tragedy.

The woman who once deceived, murdered, and manipulated the town is now forced into a choice no one wants to face: to be a mother or to be a criminal.

After the shocking shooting of EJ DiMera, Kristen discovers that the person who pulled the trigger is Rachel – her only daughter with Brady.

Ironically, Rachel shows no fear, calmly confessing, as if it were the only way to prove her love for her mother.

“I did it to protect you from jail,” Rachel says, and that nearly breaks Kristen.

Now, Kristen is no longer the calculating DiMera schemer – she is a desperate mother trying to atone for her sins. While Brady insisted on handing Rachel over to the police, Kristen tried everything to postpone the trial, even enlisting the help of Belle Black – her lawyer and “old enemy.” The scene of Kristen breaking down in tears in the courtroom, clutching a photo of her child and whispering, “I won’t let them take you,” evokes sympathy from viewers, even knowing she was once a villain.

But Days of Our Lives never gives anyone an easy ending. Amidst Kristen’s pleas for forgiveness, Melinda Trask – the notoriously tough prosecutor – unexpectedly appears, declaring new evidence regarding the EJ shooting. At that very moment, Kristen’s expression shifts from despair to fear: could Rachel merely be a pawn in a larger game?