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.

facade she had

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

to L City was to

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

some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But when it was getting

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

she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole day. She went to the neighbors and asked them about her

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried

one of the neighbors told her that her grandparents had passed away and

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

tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her

hearing the story, she didn't

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

had known, she would not

until she decided to return home.

then, Francis had returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between them

bad. He wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent

something first." He places a breakfast platter on the table in front of

at him, surprised, "Why are you

Her eyes were red and swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears from falling

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

looked at him with

didn't know if she

he told her she would not be alone.

over Ellie.

know what to

mark on her.

hate the idea

but she was happy when he

She wasn't sure about what she