It’s hard to say that such things never happened.
I know that each slave owner, was different. Some where likely psychopathic, sociopaths, sadistic, and/or worse.
Others. Probably nicer…
I can’t really put myself into a slave owner’s head. The concept is just SO alien, to me.
I’m tempted to think of a relationship between a slave owner and a slave as that of a animal owner and their animal.
Dogs, horses, and other beasts of purpose are admired and rewarded. Loved.
Although it is sickening to think of it that way, that’s all I can come up with.
There were also different kinds of slaves. Some were field slaves. Others were house slaves. Sex slaves. Slaves that took care of children. All were treated differently.
Most slave owners were descendants of, or were themselves European. Historically. Europeans were nationalists, to an extent. They didn’t like each other’s culture. That resentment was surely a factor in how some treated their slaves.
I think many treated their slaves with anger, and hate.
It was a mixed bag for sure. But. I don’t think benevolence was usually a determining factor in how most treated they’re slaves.