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.

shaking arms to hold herself.

if all the tough facade she had

by herself now. Everyone had left for real. She

why Ellie went to L City was

few nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her was the news

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, she figured that

them just looked at her with

didn't care about the way they looked at her. However, she started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the

talking about them at first.

that her grandparents had passed away and it had already been a

in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very quickly. No one had expected its

might fight it through and they didn't want to make her

story, she didn't believe

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

had known, she would not agree

until she decided to return home.

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

it was so hard for her

He places a breakfast platter on the table in front of her.

at him, surprised, "Why are you

swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears from falling down.

what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you. You are not

looked at him with a blank expression.

she should trust

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

over

didn't know what to

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

different. She didn't hate the idea of

just realized it, but she was happy when he

she felt lost. She wasn't sure about what she