Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1728

She had not closed her eyes for a full forty eight hours. Melatonin was useless, hot milk did nothing, and even sleeping pills only bought her half an hour of shallow rest plagued by endless nightmares. She could not sleep, and her head pounded as though someone were taking a hammer to her nerves. The most terrifying part was that the self control she had always taken so much pride in was rapidly crumbling. Just this morning, while sitting in her study trying to process a standard document and type on her keyboard, her fingers had trembled uncontrollably. She had gone to the best private hospital in the Capital for a comprehensive physical examination. Blood tests, brain scans, electrocardiograms... she underwent every possible test. The results showed no abnormalities in any of her organs, concluding that she was in perfect physical health. After reviewing her metrics, the physician simply sighed and recommended she visit the psychiatric department.

That was exactly why she was currently sitting in this psychological counseling room. Sitting across from her was a gentle, middle aged female therapist who was reviewing Sylvia's psychological assessment scales. The consultation had been going on for an hour. Setting the forms down, the doctor looked at Sylvia's exquisitely made up face, which failed to hide her deep exhaustion, and spoke with unwavering certainty. "Ms. Moore, you are suffering from severe depression, and it has already begun to manifest as physical somatization."

Sylvia's hands, resting on her knees, suddenly tightened. As if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, her eyes widened slightly, and she immediately pushed back. "That is impossible. How could I possibly be depressed? I work every single day, and I am perfectly capable of handling any crisis at my company." She spoke rapidly, desperately trying to use logic to overturn the diagnosis. "I do not feel sad, I do not have the urge to cry all the time, and I have never once had a thought about ending my life. I want to expand my business and make more money. How could someone so ambitious and driven about life be depressed?"

The doctor listened quietly to her defensive rebuttal, choosing not to interrupt. Only when Sylvia finally paused did the doctor reply in a soothing tone. "Ms. Moore, you have some misconceptions about what depression looks like. What you are experiencing is a classic case of smiling depression. It is not a requirement for all depressed patients to cry every day, completely break down, or walk around looking miserable all the time." The doctor pushed the assessment forms toward Sylvia, pointing to several abnormal scores. "Many people, just like you, bury their emotions deep inside and pretend to be happy. You have grown accustomed to presenting an outgoing, invulnerable facade to the world. Over time, your emotions lost their natural outlet for release. When that happens, the pain stops presenting itself through conventional psychological symptoms like sadness or low moods. Because it cannot be spoken through your mouth, it turns inward and begins attacking your physical body instead. This is what psychology refers to as somatization."

Staring at the forms, Sylvia's brows furrowed deeply, still finding the concept absurd. "But I honestly do not feel repressed. I joke around with people at work every day, and I even feel like my life is deeply fulfilling."

Watching Sylvia's tense shoulders, the doctor's voice grew even softer, as if trying to gently peel away a hardened shell. "The happiness you claim to feel is a happiness you force yourself to perform. It comes from your subconscious constantly warning you that you must be happy, that you cannot be overly sensitive, and that you absolutely must never show any vulnerability. You have faked it so perfectly that you have not only fooled everyone around you, but you have even managed to fool yourself. Your brain was forced to identify with this manufactured optimism and strength. But Ms. Moore, your body will never lie to you."

With every word the doctor spoke, Sylvia's face grew another shade paler. After a long silence, she slowly lowered her head, and her rigidly straight posture finally gave way, sagging in total defeat. "I always thought I was just in a state of poor health from working too much, and that my physical discomfort was just the result of a bad sleep schedule."

The doctor shook her head gently. "It is not your schedule. It is the result of chronically suppressing your negative emotions. Your grievances, your sorrows, and your fears had nowhere to go, and you never allowed yourself the space to fall apart."