After being bitten by a venomous snake, the wife went to save her former lover's son.

My son and my wife's golden boy from her past were both bitten by a rattlesnake.

Even though I got my kid to the hospital first, my wife, Sarah, went against protocol, using the last vial of life-saving antivenom on her ex's son.

Seven-year-old Mikey died in my arms, the pain tearing him apart.

I went ballistic, screaming at her, demanding to know why she wouldn't save her own flesh and blood.

Sarah just looked at me, cold and calm, and said, "It was his time. It was Mikey's fate. He had to accept it."

1.

I stared in disbelief as Sarah, with her own two hands, injected the last dose of antivenom – the one that could have saved Mikey – into the veins of her old flame's son, Tommy.

"Sarah, are you out of your mind?! Mikey's your son! And I got him here first!"

Lying on the hospital bed, Mikey’s small body was already turning a disturbing shade of purple, the bite on his right leg already swollen and discolored.

Sarah’s face was disturbingly composed. "David, come on. Can't you be reasonable? You know Tommy's a preemie, he's been fragile his whole life.”

"Mikey’s got a strong constitution; he can wait."

That one sentence ignited a firestorm of rage inside me.

"I don’t know the kid! Why the hell would I care? That's not my son."

"Sarah, you realize what you're doing here? You're gambling with our son's life!"

I just couldn’t wrap my head around why Sarah would willingly sacrifice her own child to save someone else’s.

Mikey, pale as a ghost from the pain, weakly reached out. "Mommy."

Just then, the heart monitor connected to Tommy – already treated with the antivenom – began to beep frantically, an ominous warning.

Sarah's face crumpled with worry. "David, stop being so selfish!" she yelled before she followed the nurses as they rushed Tommy into the emergency room. She didn't even glance at Mikey.

I pulled Mikey into a tight hug, trying to shield him from the terror.

His little hands clenched into tiny fists from the pain, but he tried to comfort me.

"Dad, don't cry. I'm not in so much pain, Dad. You always say real men don’t cry.”

I quickly wiped away my tears. “That’s right, my boy’s right. I’m not crying. You just gotta hold on a little longer, the medicine to save you will be here soon. I can’t lose you, Mikey."

Mikey’s eyes began to glaze over. “Dad, when will Mom spend my birthday with me?”

“Tommy said that on my birthday, Mom always hangs out with him. And Mom makes him yummy noodles. I really want some too.”

My heart broke. "Okay, Mikey, you just hold on. As soon as you’re feeling better, I’ll make sure she cooks you anything you want.”

Sweat was pouring off Mikey's face. “Dad, you’re lying, I know. Mom doesn’t like me. She doesn’t like you, either.”

"She’s never going to make me noodles.”

“Dad, it hurts so much!"

"Dad, I'm sorry. If I knew there was a snake there, I wouldn't have gone to look for Tommy."

“Dad… I’m so tired.”

“Dad, can you please ask Mommy to come see me? I really need to see her!”

My heart ache...