Yes! They can and do change their feelings about the GC.
In my family, I was the scapegoat child, my brother the GC, and my younger sister just fell somewhere in-between, very co-dependent, and living her life exactly as NM ordered her to. My brother was given the keys to kingdom the day he was born, and never wanted for anything. While my sister and I paid for all of our own expenses, the GC was given cars, college tuition, free rent, and later, the downpayment on a house. Even in his 30s, if he "couldn't afford" something, they were there to buy him whatever he needed. But things became tense after he did what many N children do .... he married a woman exactly like his mother. His wife is not only a raging N, but has also been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic with severe anger issues. She sent me several threatening emails, which helped to cement my decision to go NC with my mother and stop attending any family gatherings. My sister also stopped going to the holiday gatherings out of fear of the GC's wife. Co-Father used to call me all the time and vent about how crazy this woman was, but they turned the other cheek and continued to cater to him because he was the GC.
What changed everything was my mother's cancer diagnosis. When NM found out she was terminally ill, she had the will re-written, I think in an attempt to manipulate her precious GC into divorcing his wife. My brother had always been the sole heir, but they drafted a new will which disinherited both myself and the GC, and made my sister the sole heir instead. They made a huge deal out of it, took him out to dinner, and explained that they were disinheriting him because of his wife. NM must have been confident that he would divorce the wife, but just like his father, he's completely co-dependent and will stand by this woman no matter what. He chose his N-wife over his N-mother, and it cost him dearly.
NM died three years ago, and even though I'm sure my Co-F would love to change the will back (his son was always his favorite child), he'll never go against his wife's orders. I'm now NC with my father, but from what I can glean, the GC has limited or no contact with him, while my younger sister has taken over my mother's role in Co-F's life, controlling everything, including his money. Based on what happened with me, and what I'm reading from the others here, it sounds like the GC can lose their position very quickly if he/she crosses the NM. That's one that I NEVER saw coming.
