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.

arms to hold herself. Her tears started

she had shown

now. Everyone had left for real. She

L City was to visit her

some time and have a few nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her

one was home when she 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,

neighbors but never really got an answer. All of them just looked at her

the way they looked at her. However, she started to panic after she didn't

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried to ask again.

that her grandparents had passed away and it had

on them all of

time 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

hearing the story, she didn't believe

fine during their last visit to J City. She didn't believe that any sickness could just take

known, she would not agree

until she decided to return home.

sitting on the bed, holding her

it was so hard for her to accept that

eat something first." He places a breakfast platter on the

looked up at him, surprised, "Why are you still

and swollen, but she

last

at him with

didn't know if she should trust

he told her

took over Ellie.

know what to

huge traumatic mark on her. She had stayed

different. She didn't hate the idea

it, but she was happy

she felt lost. She wasn't sure about what