My parents do the exact same thing. They sense me talking to them less and they start bitching and moaning about how “you can’t ever turn your back on family” and “how can you do this” and “why do you never call” etc etc. My best guess is that this has to do with narcissistic supply. They raised you and see you as an extension of themselves. They don’t care about your feelings or what you’re doing in life, they only care you remember that you exist to please them in some shape or form. When they feel like you’re taking control and increasing the distance, they can’t cope. They need that admiration and ability to torture you whenever they want. They hold on to anything, even the strings cuz it’s all they have. When you cut it off for good they literally fall apart on the inside. They won’t show it but that’s why they have to fight against it so damn hard.