むしろ and long relative sentence: translation check needed!

Hi again guys!

While I was reading a book I came across this long sentence, and I'm not sure if I understood it correctly. I'd be really grateful if you could check it.

The one who's speaking is a girl working as a hostess in Ginza:
"笑顔を絶やさないのは苦痛ではなかった。むしろ、社会人として一定の枠組みにはめ込まれれば、それなりの窮屈さを感じ、責任を背負ってくらさなければならないと思い込んでいた私に、その世界は意外なほど自由で、のびのびと感じられた。"
"I didn't mind keeping the smile on my face. I was convinced that becoming a shakaijin and entering in society would make me feel much more uneasy, because I would have to take some responsabilities; instead, in this world with its incredible freedom, I felt I was carefree."

More or less?

Thanks in advance!

I would read all of "社会人として一定の枠組みにはめ込まれれば、それなりの 窮屈さを感じ、責任を背負ってくらさなければならないと思い込んでいた" as modifying 私.

The overall structure then becomes: Rather, to me, who [X], this world was surprisingly free and put me at ease. (or something similar), where X is the modifying phrase.

The original structure in the modifying phrase doesn't say that taking responsibility would be the cause of feeling 'unease' (and I think 窮屈 here refers to social constraints/formalities).

In 社会人として一定の枠組みにはめ込まれれば、それなりの 窮屈さを感じ、責任を背負ってくらさなければならない,
社会人として一定の枠組みにはめ込まれれば is a hypothetical (if I was to be fit into the framework of 'society'... or something along those lines), and what follows would be the result (feeling constrained and having to shoulder responsibilities). That is what she had thought (思い込んでいた) at the time.

Thanks a lot! Now it makes sense! I have been thinking about it for days.

I found another tricky sentence, could you please take a look at this one too? (should be the last one, I promise!)

The character who's speaking is a boy, and he's talking to his girlfriend after she showed him up in a bar: 「ネコを被れとは言わないけどな、少しは周りのことかさ、人の気持ちとか、考えたほうがいいよ、おまえ。」
I get the part "少しは周りのことかさ、人の気持ちとか、考えたほうがいいよ、おまえ" ("you should think about where you are/how to behave and about other people's feelings", but "ネコを被れとは言わないけどな" confuses me. "ネコを被る" means pretending to be quiet and gentle; does this mean "I'm not ordering you to pretend be quiet"? Is ネコを被れ an imperative form? :?

Thanks again for your patience!

Yes, u→e is the imperative form of 'godan' (or "u" or however you categorise them) verbs, and your guess at the meaning is accurate.

For "ichidan"/"ru" verbs (食べる、見る), the last る changes to ろ
For "godan"/"u" verbs (言う、頑張る), the last u sound changes to the e row (so 言う becomes 言え and 頑張る becomes 頑張れ).

Thank you @nekojita !