Thanks for taking the time to read this.  My name is Jason, and I need some help.

In March of 2007, my GF and I had a child, my first - her fifth.  At the time of our daughters birth, I was working 48-60 hours per week, and basically drinking the rest of the time.  After my daughter was born, I went into detox, got cleaned up, and have been sober (save a few slip-ups over the last 3.5 years) since.  At the time, my GF was (and still is) the absolute most jealous, immature, vindictive person I've ever met.  Being drunk through most of our courtship made it bearable.  Quiting drinking made it hell.

To save myself from the utter insanity of her jealousy, and because I fell so in love with my little girl, and because my GF's other 4 children are examples of exactly how NOT to raise children (actually 3, one joined the military and has been a real good egg since), I decided that being a stay at home dad was the right thing to do.  And it was (so far), because my little girl is the smartest, most caring and loving 3 y.o. you'll ever meet - she's a social butterfly, she has manners, and she THINKS before doing anything, which for a 3 y.o. is pretty amazing to me.  The other children - her oldest daughter (at 22 y.o.) has a son who is just slightly older than my daughter.  She and her son live with my parents (because she was so poorly raised, she has no concept of parenting, and my parents decided to try to teach her by taking care of her son - he's doing great, his mother is a complete waste of oxygen).  The oldest son, at 19, just got his license, was living here (I kicked him out for not following simple rules like going to school and doing a chore or two), then with his father (who wouldn't put up with his B.S.), and now lives with his 15 year old girlfriend.  The other boy is 14, weighs in at 300+ lbs (because with no parenting, he was raised to believe that boxed crap is the only food to eat), sit's on his ass all day playing games, misses more school than he goes to, and has landed child protective services on my door several times because he refuses to change his clothes or bathe on a regular basis.  He was booted to his dad's as well (I WILL NOT have these types of influences around my daughter, and the GF doesn't see the problem).

Moving on.  I've been eeking by on making money off of internet sales, plus I'm a computer tech by trade, so I make some money on the side from that.  Other than that, the financial responsibility has been on the GF (who, in 40 years, never worked a real full time job in her life, until I became the at-home-dad).  3 years and a BUNCH of her insanity later, I'm giving up.  I have no friends (due to dealing with her jealous nature), no "support system" so to speak, a large gap in work history (which isn't so bad, my history before is actually pretty good), no vehicle of my own (actually I had one, but I gave it to her when she blew her truck up), etc.. - basically, I'm in a really bad spot to become a really easy target for her.

Well, the time has come to end this BS with her.  Unfortunetly, with no support, and no job, and no money, and no way to protect my daughter from this crap should I just up and leave, I'm fairly stuck.  At this point, other than being the daily caregiver, I don't have a leg to stand on.  I've decided that leaving this crazy woman is in my best interest, and taking my daughter out of this lifestyle is in her best interest.  I've taken to recording every conversation between us to cover my butt (ain't technology cool), because she will (and has before) file for custody, because she knows I'd die before loosing my little girl, and it's kept me from leaving before.  We have essentially "broken up" - but I WILL NOT leave my little girl in this kind of environment.  Now the (ex)GF is demanding that I start paying rent or I'll be evicted, and she knows full well that living where we do (literally the middle of nowhere, upstate NY, no jobs close by), and the situation being what it is, that it isn't possible.  Were I to take my daughter to somewhere more populated, I could swing it (I'm very hireable, bosses love me - I grew up with a SOLID work ethic), but the ex will do everything possible to destroy those plans, just to spite me, no matter what is in the little girl's best interest.

Aside from what my primal instinct is SCREAMING for me to do in this situation, are there any other options?  I feel like I'm lost - this is actually making me cry (which I hardly ever do), because not only am I looking at loosing everything I've built up over the last few years, but loosing my perfect little girl to this trailer trash family.

Suggestions, please.  I need some help!