Explain a “Reverse Split” like I’m 5

Am I understanding this correctly??
Let’s say you bought 100 shares at $10/share for a total investment of $1000.

So the company starts doing poorly and in an effort to raise their stock price, the company says to you “we are going to actually say you have 10 shares valued at $100!”

Even though no one wants to buy one share for $100 because the company’s shares are worth less than $10 as it is…

So to get your original investment back, the struggling company’s shares would have to suddenly become 10x more valuable?? And even then, you would only break even??

Please tell me I’m wrong because that is absurd.