What a week it has been. Honestly, it’s been one of the hardest I’ve had in a long time — and Friday was the absolute peak of it. I’m still processing everything, but writing it down feels like a way to let myself breathe again.

A New Job… or So I Thought

I left my previous job believing I was stepping into something better: a full-time role closer to home with shorter hours. It felt like the right move — a chance to regain balance and be in a healthier routine.

But looking back now, I wish I had done one simple thing: checked the company on Glassdoor. If I had, I never would have applied. I walked in with hope, and walked out with reality hitting me like a brick.

Toxic From the Start

From day one, the treatment I received was unacceptable. The atmosphere was heavy, tense, and unwelcoming. My manager spoke to me in a way no professional should ever speak to anyone — sharp, impatient, and dismissive. The training was almost nonexistent; instead of showing me how to do things properly, I was expected to just know.

And then there was a colleague who belittled me from the start, making me feel small, inexperienced, and out of place. No one should ever feel humiliated for simply being new.

Friday: The Breaking Point

By Friday, everything had built up inside me — the stress, the pressure, the way I was spoken to, the constant feeling of not being good enough because no one bothered to teach me. The moment I walked out of the building and saw my husband waiting for me, everything burst out. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I cried — out of anger, out of frustration, out of pure emotional exhaustion.

In that moment, I knew I could not go back. No job is worth feeling that small.

The Glassdoor Truth

Later, my husband and I finally looked up the company on Glassdoor. And there it was — review after review describing the exact same environment I had experienced. Toxic culture. Poor management. People feeling belittled, unsupported, and pushed to their breaking point. It wasn’t just me. It was the company.

Somehow that gave me a strange sense of validation: it wasn’t my failure. It was their pattern.

Moving Forward

This week has been draining, but it’s also been eye-opening. I’m learning to trust my instincts, to protect my peace, and to believe that walking away is not giving up — it’s choosing better for myself.

I deserve better. We all do.

And despite everything, I’m grateful: for the lesson, for the clarity, and especially for my husband, who held me through all of it without hesitation.

Next week will be a new start — and I’m ready for it.