I finally have a success story to share! (I am on mobile so I apologize for any formatting issues.) I have been lurking here for a year since my friend shared this sub with me. As a former pickme a lot of the hand book was a bitter pill to swallow. I had just gotten sober, into therapy, and out of what I hoped would be my last lvw relationship. I am a line cook and thrive in what is typically a male dominated field. 2021 has been hard. My industry is falling apart, and rightfully so. People are realizing that the pay and hours are garbage and don't want to do it anymore. Unfortunately for me, I love cooking. It has been my passion my entire life and I have succeeded at every role I have filled in the kitchen. When half of the kitchen staff didn't return after the 2nd quarantine, I stepped up. I learned how to order everything, I learned how to make soup, I learned how to make weekly specials, I learned how to cook brunch. This resulted in me becoming the only person on my team who could literally do everything. The last 2 months I have been begging not only my team, but my General Manager to help me. My cries fell on deaf ears. After 60+ hours a week since February, with one day off a week and some times not even that, I hit my wall. I applied for a new job. I got hired at the most expensive steakhouse in my city, on the 2nd highest station on the line for a higher pay then I am making as a manager now with full benefits and no overtime. I broke up with my lvw situationship after he admitted he had been hanging out with a woman 11 years youngee than him, who he knew had a crush on him. In the past I would have BEGGED for his attention. I would have done anything to keep him. Instead, I met with him and told him that he crossed a boundary I couldn't ignore and walked away with my head held high. I put my 2 weeks in at my toxic job. Ladies, thank you so much. If it were not for all your success I would still be grinding away miserable where I was, unappreciated and pleading with a grown man who wants to be Peter Pan forever. Instead, I walked away from what I knew no longer served me and opened a door to a better future. It is going to be hard, but so much easier than everything I have suffered through until now. Thank you for this sub, thank you for this mentality shift, and thank you for your strength.