Decades-long abuse is not a series of incidents.
It is a stable pattern of behaviour.

When harm is repeated over years, it reflects character, not circumstance.
It is not stress, illness, provocation, or loss of control.
It is chosen conduct, consistently reinforced.

Cruelty in long-term abuse is defined by indifference to suffering and the use of harm to maintain power.
The persistence of the behaviour demonstrates entitlement, lack of empathy, and moral disengagement.

Time is the evidence.
Duration proves intent.

People who do not benefit from cruelty stop.
People who continue are willing to be cruel.

This is why explanation fails, therapy often fails, and reconciliation fails.
The risk is not accidental.
It is structural and predictable.

The appropriate response is not understanding.
It is distance, boundaries, and protection.