I've been pretending to be okay for so long that I've forgotten what it feels like to actually be okay. Every morning I wake up and put on a smile. I go to work, I laugh with colleagues, I post happy pictures on Instagram. But inside, I'm screaming. Inside, I'm drowning. I'm tired of being the strong one. I'm tired of being everyone's support system while I crumble alone at night. I want someone to ask me if I'm really okay. Not the casual "how are you" but the real one. The one that means "I see you, and I'm here." But no one does. So I keep pretending. And the worst part? I'm so good at it that even I sometimes believe my own lie.