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.

with her shaking arms to hold herself.

the tough facade she

Everyone had left for real. She was really all

to L City was

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

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 something could be

the neighbors but never really got an answer. All of them just

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

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried to ask

grandparents had passed away and it

them all of a sudden. With their age,

how little time they had before they passed. They told the neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her worry. They also told them that if the sickness got worse,

she didn't believe

City. She didn't believe

not agree to let them

she mourned until she decided

sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her

felt really bad. He wondered why it was so hard for her to accept

breakfast platter on the

him, surprised, "Why are you still

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

"Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be

him with a

know if she should trust him.

tempting when he told her she would not be alone.

took over

know what

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

different. She didn't hate the idea of getting close to

just realized it, but she was happy when he was

what she was feeling, but she knew