Good for you for keeping her and loving her it will get better like having a new baby as time goes little one will get better.
For myself I would use the puppy pad as bad as I dislike them it is better than a mess. I would put her in the bathroom and with her kennel. So maybe she will sleep in the kennel and potty on the pad and still be able to walk around and moved about. I would also give her several toys and a chew bone like a naylon one to play with. Maybe that will also help.
I know play time is important but so is having a loving home and someone to love you. I know your tried after working three jobs but stay up extra 5 mins or get up extra 5 mins and play ball or just play with her it will work itself out.
Your not mean what is mean is to get a puppy and love it and then give it back and never know who or what got it and what happen to the little girl. If you knew someone to me that would be different. She will be a happy dog just hang in there.
I would not keep her with cat litter box were she can get into it Jaycee been with us since March and she had a thing for cat litter it has to be what we feed our cats they have to get into the litter. Jaycee will still get into it today if we do not watch her and get after her.
Jaycee is 6 months old today and we never had hard time with potty in kennel but during day she would use her puppy pad and we only wanted her to go outside now that was hard to break. Seem like sometimes we would just go out and she would pee and come in and go to pad and pee again. Like what is wrong but we finally got over that hill.
I hope some of the others on here join in and help with there advice. Good Luck and lets us know how your doing. When get time ha! ha! post a picture.
Rita Jean