Bernard's POV
The glowing screen of my phone had become my obsession for the past twenty minutes. Penny's latest message burned into my retinas, each word a deliberate assault on what remained of my composure.
Penny: Vulnerability means trusting someone will be there to catch you when you fall. But what happens when they let go right as gravity takes hold? Whether it's love, friendship, or your career crashing down around you... betrayal feels identical every single time.
The irony? Everyone preaches about being brave enough to be vulnerable. Nobody mentions that courage sometimes comes wrapped in pink slips and shattered trust.
My chest constricted as I absorbed every syllable for what felt like the hundredth time. She believed she was confessing her deepest fears to some faceless stranger who might offer hollow comfort from behind a screen. Someone who couldn't possibly understand the specifics of her devastation.
