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. Her tears started

tough facade she had

now. Everyone had left

L City

time and have a few nice meals with them. But none of that

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

answer. All of them just looked at her with sad faces and tried to

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

about them at first. She tried to ask again.

told her that her grandparents had passed away and

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

had before they passed. They told the neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it

she didn't believe

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

she would not agree to let

she mourned until she decided to

house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her

hard for her to accept that they had spent a night

a breakfast platter on the table in front of her.

looked up at him, surprised, "Why

red and swollen, but she couldn't

told you last night? No matter what happens,

him with a blank

didn't know if she should

told her she would not be

over Ellie.

didn't know what to

had left a huge traumatic mark on

She didn't hate the

it, but she was happy when he was around.

wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but she knew that she cared about