I understand the abuse thing. My mom did that with her parents. She tried to reconcile after my parents got married, it lasted a few years and then when my dad quit my grandpa's company for a better job,all hell broke loose.
I remember my grandpa csme to the door and told my mom along the lines "it's us or him". She chose my dad and he said "then your dead to me and your mom". He then raised the rent for the house we were living in and put the squeeze on. We ended up moving a couple months later when my parents bought a house, and never heard from them again. In fact, even her brothers and sisters cut her off.
It was only since her mom and dad both have died that her one sister has made an effort to reconnect. I saw her at my brothers wedding last summer ,for the first time in 23 years.