Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 143: Shackled Dreams

The scent of fresh chamomile and bergamot lingered in the air from the steaming teapot placed on the table between Helena and Lyvia. The clinking of porcelain was the only sound in the silence as Helena took a slow sip from her delicate teacup, her gaze fixed firmly on her daughter, who sat across from her.

Helena placed her cup down gently, the soft clink against the saucer masking the steel in her voice. "I’m glad to see you’ve finally come to your senses, Lyvia. It’s about time you stopped locking yourself in your room like a sulking child."

Lyvia exhaled heavily and ran a hand through her loose, dark curls. She stared down at the untouched tea in front of her, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her skirt. "I just needed time," she muttered, unwilling to meet her mother’s piercing gaze.

Helena arched a brow. "Time for what? To sulk? To wallow in self-pity?" She let out a sharp, disapproving sigh before leaning forward, her eyes glinting with determination. "You’re a Harrington, Lyvia. You don’t have the luxury of hiding away. It’s time for you to focus on your future."

Lyvia’s brows furrowed as she glanced up warily. "What are you talking about?"

Helena leaned back against the plush sofa, crossing her legs with graceful precision. "Your education, of course. I’ve decided you will continue your studies in business and management."

A stunned silence stretched between them. Lyvia blinked, her lips parting in disbelief. "What?" she finally breathed out. "No. I don’t want to study business. That’s not what I want."

Helena’s sharp nails tapped rhythmically against the armrest. "Of course you do. You need to prepare yourself, Lyvia. One day, you’ll take over as the Harrington heir. You need to be capable."

Lyvia’s chair scraped loudly against the marble floor as she abruptly stood up, hands clenched into fists. "I don’t want to be the heir!" she snapped, her voice rising in frustration. "I never did! Why can’t you understand that?"

Helena’s jaw tightened, her composed expression darkening. "Enough," she said icily. "You will do as I say. I will not have you ruin everything."

Lyvia shook her head fiercely, her chest rising and falling with the force of her emotions. "Ruin what? My life? My own choices?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Why does everything have to be about what you want? You’ve never once asked me what I want!"

She rose to her feet, her steps steady as she approached. Her piercing gaze held Lyvia’s captive, sharp and unforgiving. "Because what you want doesn’t matter, Lyvia. What matters is ensuring the Harrington legacy remains untarnished. And you—" she raised a manicured hand and grasped Lyvia’s chin, her fingers digging in just enough to make a point "—will not spoil my plans."

Lyvia’s breath hitched, her body frozen as her mother’s grip tightened ever so slightly. The weight of those words sank deep into her chest, suffocating and heavy.

"You will do as you’re told," Helena continued, her voice dangerously low. "Or you will suffer the consequences."

Lyvia swallowed hard, her mother’s grip still firm on her chin. The sharp sting of her manicured nails digging into her skin sent a wave of anger through her, cutting through the suffocating fear. She had always known Helena was harsh, but somehow, she had convinced herself that it was different for her. That maybe, just maybe, she was spared from the cruelty her mother so easily inflicted on Delphinia. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

But now? Now she knew better.

"I thought you only treated Delphinia like this because she’s not really your daughter," Lyvia bit out, her voice trembling but steady. "But I guess I was wrong. You don’t care if we share blood or not. You only care about yourself."

Helena’s eyes darkened, her grip tightening for just a second before she let go with a sharp flick of her wrist, as if touching Lyvia any longer disgusted her. "Don’t be ridiculous," she scoffed. "Everything I do is for you."

You don’t do anything for me. You do it for yourself. Just admit it—you’d sell me off in a heartbeat if it meant securing your precious legacy."

Helena let out a slow breath, as if reeling in her temper. "Don’t be dramatic, Lyvia."

"Dramatic?" Lyvia let out a bitter laugh. "You just threatened me. Told me I’d suffer if I didn’t listen to you. That’s not dramatic—that’s just the truth. And you know what? I don’t think you’d even care if I did suffer. As long as you got what you wanted in the end."

Helena’s eyes flashed dangerously. "You ungrateful little—"

"Ungrateful?" Lyvia cut in, taking a step closer. "For what? For being treated like a pawn? For having to live under your impossible expectations? For realizing that you don’t actually love me, you just love what I can do for you?"

A thick silence enveloped the room, tension pressing down like a suffocating fog. Lyvia’s nails dug into her palms, her fingers trembling slightly as she willed herself to stay strong. Her mother’s touch, cold and unforgiving, sent a shiver down her spine.

Helena held her gaze a moment longer before abruptly releasing her. Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode toward the door, her heels clicking against the pristine floor. Just before stepping out, she threw one final glance over her shoulder. "Do not test me, Lyvia. I will not ask again."

With a firm thud, the door shut behind her, and Lyvia was left alone. The silence that followed was deafening. Her breath shuddered as she unclenched her fists, her nails leaving crescent-shaped marks in her palms. Anger burned beneath her skin, but so did something else—something bitter and familiar. Helplessness.

She lowered herself back onto the sofa, staring blankly at the untouched cup of tea. The steam had long since disappeared, leaving it lukewarm and uninviting—just like the future her mother had carved out for her.

Slowly, she balled her fists again, her nails biting into her skin. Helena may have left the room, but her presence, her demands, her threats—they lingered, suffocating and inescapable.

And Lyvia knew, deep down, that this fight was far from over.