When I Realized I Was Trapped: The Moment My Fantasy Shattered

Have you ever realized you’re not just in a hard relationship, but trapped in one?

It doesn’t happen all at once.

For me, it came in quiet moments—when the words didn’t match the actions, when I felt small and scrambled and unsure, even though nothing “obvious” was happening.

I wasn’t being screamed at.

But I was being worn down. Talked in circles. Blamed. …