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.

wrapped herself with her shaking arms to hold herself.

she had shown him earlier had started crumbling.

was all by herself now. Everyone had left for real. She

reason why Ellie went to L City was to

with them. But none of that ever happened. What was waiting

home when she arrived. She assumed that they went out for some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But

but never really got an answer. All of them just looked at her with sad faces and

her. However, she started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for

about them at first. She tried to

neighbors told her that her grandparents had passed away and

them all of a sudden. With their age, it took

neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they

she didn't believe them.

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

had known, she would not agree to

until she decided to return

saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head

it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent a

first." He places a breakfast platter

him, surprised, "Why are

eyes were red and swollen, but

closer to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you.

looked at him with a blank

know if she

tempting when he told

took over

know what to

a huge traumatic mark on her. She had stayed away from men for many

didn't hate the idea

it, but she was

what she was