"you handled it well." did i? did i really handle it well, or did i just hide it well enough for you to believe i'm okay? i wonder what they would say if they knew how many nights i cried, whispering to myself, "why do i need to be born like this?" i wake up, put on a smile, and act like nothing is wrong. but when i'm alone, the weight of it all crashes down. the words i never say out loud keep repeating in my head. maybe i look strong to the world, but inside, i'm breaking. no one sees how hard it is to hold myself together. so no, i didn't handle it well. i just keep pretending because i'm scared of being judged.