Am I Misunderstanding Bravo/Charlie Airspace?

Sure! Just for clarity, you and @Fmgc320 are correct, in that I’m getting the “frequency change approved” flying VFR.

A great example of this behavior is flying out of Falcon Field KFFZ in Mesa, AZ. It’s under the extended east-west Bravo for Sky Harbor, but you shouldn’t infringe upon that unless you climb over 4,000 MSL. I’ve witnessed this behavior as low as 500 AGL (1,900 MSL).