Because you can’t take a sabbatical

You might find a way out if only you had time.

Time to think.

Time to breathe.

If only you could take a sabbatical, maybe a year off, to reassess, to make your plan, to make your escape.

You daren’t ask your employer. You suspect that it would damage your prospects, and, in any case, the answer would be no. Your escape is not part of your employer’s plan.