Indeed, that is a spot between a rock and a hard place. I can appreciate wanting to stay in a familiar place, I know a little about starting anew, but, at the same time, your situation sounds toxic. Have you worked there for a long time?
The job process is going slowly. I get really anxious/nervous about applying for jobs, to be honest, so I have been taking it slowly. But I've contacted a past reference to ask again/give a heads up, so hopefully I'll hear back soon and have that checked off my list. Now I need to go through the application process and hopefully, that will lead to desired outcomes. I have made note of a couple positions that I'm interested in.