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 herself. Her tears started falling.

if all the tough facade she had shown him

left for real. She

to L City

some time and have a few nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her was the news

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

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

beginning, she 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 whole

avoid talking about them at first. She tried to

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

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

they might fight it

story, she

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

would not agree to

until she decided to return

had returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the

so hard for her

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

at him, surprised, "Why are

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

to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter

him with

know if she

he told her she

over

didn't know what to do.

marriage had left a huge traumatic mark on

didn't hate the idea of getting

it, but she was happy

she couldn't see him, she felt lost. She wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but