I'm sad to hear you decided to terminate things with her. I really think this could have been worked out but now you'll never know. She did seem to be offering a short-term solution but maybe it wasn't, maybe she was prepared to work within that pay structure for as long as it took, maybe it was her way of expressing hope that some day things will financially get better for you. She obviously does care for you and she does value you and she does want to help, and she doesn't want you starting over with someone new when you could stay with her. Seems like you're losing a lot over avoiding an uncomfortable conversation, is it worth it?