He addressed her first.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said.”
No immediate response.
Silence maintained structure.
“I didn’t just push you out,” he continued.
Pause.
“I made you feel like you had no place.”
More precise.
Closer to impact.
Still incomplete.
But progressing.
She did not validate.
Validation without completion distorts process.
“What exactly did you do?” she asked.
Direct.
Forcing specificity.
