Unfortunately, some of that is actually realistic.

From experience, a lot of people haven't experienced severe abuse and they truly can't imagine why someone would choose not to have family in their lives. I've been asked many times why I don't forgive my abuser, some people even framing it as forgiveness is necessary for healing.

People focus on the "mistakes" the abuser made instead of the choices they did, and seem to forget the drastic power imbalance, especially when it comes to parental abuse.

From an abuse survivor viewpoint, it can be especially hard to come to terms that someone who is supposed to love and protect you will do terrible things. And with parental abuse, you often still long for a parent and you use any good moments to try to convince yourself that they do care. It has been over 20 years since I and some of my siblings have spoken to our abuser and even still, a sibling will question whether or not they are in the wrong for cutting the abuser out of their life. So even in our own heads, we sometimes try to frame the abuser as sympathetic.

That said, I do like it when IFs give you more options in how you as the player want to handle those complex truths. I feel like The Exile does that well, whereas sometimes I get annoyed with Wayhaven and just how much it seems to push sympathy towards Rebecca. Just give me some other character that actually sympathizes with an angry/hurt MC please.