I made the choice to leave a toxic environment living with my partner and his family. It wasn’t easy but I had to take myself and my children out of a situation that was causing us stress and contributing to my health issues. It took a lot of strength and bravery to leave but I did it for the betterment of our lives and to make sure I raise my kids in a happy environment.
When I left that situation I realised how bad things had got. I had no independence - I had no bank account, national insurance, I was made to stay in the house. Even though now I live in a hostel with my two young sons, at least I have my independence; we are much happier now.
A big struggle for me right now is the cost of travel, I work quite far away from home and pay a lot for my travel to get to work. I also want to work within school hours so I can care for my kids as I get no support from their father. In the future, I want to continue my work as a dinner lady in a school near my home and provide the best life for my boys.