A Love Trap

"Ellie! Stop... talking... like that!" he spluttered.

Francis might have been with a lot of women, but he took nobody seriously. Those women knew it and they didn't mind.

But Ellie was different. He never thought of treating her badly.

He could not fathom why she had to hurt herself like that.

He was really upset. Not because of what she thought about him, but because of how she saw herself.

The worst part of it was that she called him "Mr. Francis." The fact that she called him "Mr. Francis"

hurt him the most.

Ellie closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She didn't say anything.

Francis grabbed both her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Ellie, please tell me you're joking." He looked at her, his eyes firm with pleading and frustration. "Please tell me you didn't mean any of what you just said."

Francis' eyes spoke sincerely to Ellie.

She couldn't take another look at him. She needed strength to say what she was about to say, "No, I meant everything I said."

Francis could see right through her lie. He shouted, "Look me in the eye and tell me again! You didn't mean any of that, right?"

Ellie looked into his eyes, her visage as fierce as the crunching in her chest. "I meant it. I meant every bit of it. You may leave Mr. Francis."

Ellie pointed to the door gesturing for Francis to leave.

"Fine!" Francis clenched his jaw and gnashed his teeth in anger.

He let go of her and turned around to leave.

The thud that came from the shutting door made Ellie flinch. As the door closed, the room fell into silence.

Ellie could only look at the direction where he had gone.

with her shaking arms to hold herself. Her tears started

facade she had shown him earlier had started crumbling.

all by herself now. Everyone had left for

why Ellie went to L City

none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her

arrived. She assumed that they went out for some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But when it was getting dark, and they were still not home, she

got an answer. All of them just looked at her with

to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried

had

sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives

they had before they passed. They told the neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her worry. They also told them that if the sickness got worse, they would tell Ellie themselves.

hearing the story, she didn't

J City. She

known, she would not agree to let them leave.

until she decided to return

on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried

hard for her to accept

breakfast platter

him, surprised, "Why

swollen, but she

to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what

with a blank expression.

if she should trust

really tempting when he told her she would not be alone.

over Ellie.

what to

on her. She had stayed away

hate the idea of getting close

she was happy when

wasn't sure about what she was feeling,