And right beside Tessa stood Chris.

"I heard from Chris and couldn't shake my concern, so I followed along," she explained smoothly.

Their united front ignited a glacial fury that roared through my veins.

"Followed along?" I sneered, curling my lips in mockery. "Or to confirm my son won't survive, clearing the path for you adulterers to shed your burdens and start fresh sooner?"

Chris's face twisted in disbelief. "What nonsense is this? Wesley is fighting for his life, and you're ranting like a madwoman."

"Ranting?" I stepped closer, my tone sharpening. "Look into my eyes and confess. How long have you and Tessa been betraying me? Did it start before Wesley's illness? While he burned with fever, did you slip away for stolen moments, secretly praying he'd disappear?"

"You're insane!" Chris's temples throbbed as he jabbed a finger at me. "She's just a neighbor offering help."

"Help?" I sneered. "She stalled me on the call and slashed my tire. You think I'm that dumb? Dumb enough to mourn my son while you play innocent?"

Chris stiffened, reeling from the barrage of revelations. Beside him, Tessa grieved, her eyes pooling with tears.

She clutched his sleeve and whimpered, "Perhaps Irene's overwhelmed, seeing things that aren't there. I'd never stoop so low. I know she resents me, but I genuinely fretted over the child."

She extended a tentative hand toward Wesley. "Is he improving? Let me just..."

As her fingers inched toward his searing skin, my bottled rage detonated. "Don't you dare lay your grimy hands on him!"

I thrust her away with force; she yelped and reeled backward.

Chris's brows knit in disapproval as he steadied her in a chair. Wheeling on me, he hissed, "What game are you playing? This isn't the place for hysterics. Without her pull, that ambulance never would've raced here so fast."

His judgmental stare echoed countless past scoldings, branding me as overly emotional.

Flashes assaulted me: Chris fumbling his first cradle of Wesley, beaming ear-to-ear when Wesley called him Daddy, our late-night tag-teams soothing cries...

Yet now, he shielded another woman, hurling blame at me. In that heartbeat, my heart crystallized into ice, forging an unyielding vow. This time, I'd exact retribution on those who dared harm my son.

Medics whisked Wesley into the ER, the red light pulsing like a warning.

I whirled back to Chris with a derisive snort. "For starters, no ambulance ever arrived. I hailed a stranger's car to get him here."

Brushing off his stunned silence, I addressed the nurses' station. "Page Dr. Spence for my son, please. I must report potential hazards he encountered."

My eyes darted to Tessa's whitened knuckles. "Particularly if they link back to her."

The rims of her eyes reddened. "I understand your panic over your son, but you can't accuse me without cause."

Tessa pivoted to Chris, her tears teetering on the brink. "I only came to lend a hand, figuring you might need support. Why would I harm a child? I've scarcely glimpsed him a few times."

Chris's frown deepened, his gaze on me heavy with weariness and exasperation. "Irene, you've acted strangely all night."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I urged you to call 911. You disconnected and insisted on driving. I argued the ambulance offered speed and safety, but you flipped out, claiming I'd endanger him."

Embarrassment flushed his cheeks, but he forged ahead. "Okay, maybe fear clouded your judgment. After the tire puncture, I summoned help. Tessa graciously prioritized our case and trailed us here out of worry. Instead of gratitude, you shoved her. Worse, you babble about suspicious items and implicate her?"

His raised voice drew stares from nearby families and nurses, sparking murmurs.

"This mom has lost it, huh?"

"That lady helped them, then got attacked for it?"

"The child's illness explains the stress, but this crosses a line."

Tessa sniffled on cue, her frame quivering for effect, while Chris listed my faults.

An arctic chill seeped into my bones. To him, my desperate safeguards boiled down to irrational ingratitude.

I delved into my pocket for the iridescent nail tip, its edge smeared with residue. "A sharp object pierced the tire."

I brandished it before Tessa's face. Under the fluorescent glow, it aligned flawlessly with her chipped manicure. "Yours, isn't it? How conveniently it was lodged beside my sabotaged wheel!"

Her complexion blanched momentarily, but tears surged anew. "It could have dropped accidentally. I strolled the lot yesterday, but that proves nothing. This is absurd."

She appealed to Chris, her sobs intensifying. "I swear it wasn't me. Irene's nerves are frayed, breeding paranoia. I understand her worry as a mother, but I can't let her slander me like this."

Chris's resolve wavered. He sighed, massaging his temples. "One stray nail means what? Steady yourself, Irene. Wait until Wesley emerges, alright?"

His blatant bias snapped my last thread of patience. But before I could retort, Tessa interjected softly, "Ease up. She's frantic about the boy. What if he doesn't pull..."

My palm cracked across her cheek, silencing her mid-sentence. She clutched her face, her eyes bulging in shock.

"Irene, what's your problem?" Chris thundered, his veins bulging. "Tessa helped save our son. How could you hit her?"

His arm swung upward, primed to retaliate. In that frozen instant, the nurse barreled back, clutching a sealed bag brimming with colorful fibers.