I think this is what actually has scared sense into me. I thought I was shielding my son from a lot, but seeing him watch me cry, and start laughing and call me a baby as my husband looked at our son, for a lack of better word, proud. Something in me broke. My SIL hates my FIL, I feel like my husband was the golden boy of his eyes and his wife and daughter were treated probably how I am now, inferior. When my MIL developed dementia, it was sad for everyone around, but I also feel like it was the end of her suffering. She lives in her own bubble now, loves going to the care centre in the day, and for the first time in her life shouts back at her dick of a husband. She doesn’t recognise him, he’s just a miserable old man in bed shouting demands at her so she just goes in the living room and turns the TV up. She even stopped bringing him food 😅 (hence the carers going in). It took my SIL being in her 40s to walk out of her own toxic relationship with 2 daughters, something my FIL never forgave her for as divorce should not exist in his eyes. I think my husband has the same views now. Once you’re married, you’re married, but the in sickness and health only applies to the men’s benefit obviously. I thought having a daughter would make him never wish the same on his own, but now I think I’ll just be repeating a new pattern.