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.

herself with her shaking arms to hold

she had shown him earlier had

herself now. Everyone had left

why Ellie went to L City was to visit her

nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What

She assumed that they went out for some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But when it was getting

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

didn't hear

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried

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

Laura had hardly caught a cold in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very

they might fight

hearing the story, she didn't believe them.

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

known, she would not agree

until she decided to return

the bed,

hard for her to

breakfast platter on

at him, surprised, "Why

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

told you last

with

she should trust him.

told her she would not be

over Ellie.

what to do.

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

was different. She didn't hate the idea

just realized it, but she was happy when he was around.

lost. She wasn't sure about what she was feeling,