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.

wrapped herself with her shaking arms to hold herself. Her tears started falling.

the tough facade she had shown him earlier

by herself now. Everyone had left for real. She was really

L

But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for

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 something could

got an answer. All of them just looked at her with sad faces

didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole day. She went to the neighbors and asked them about her grandparents.

tried to avoid talking about them at first. She

told her that her grandparents had passed away and

sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it

Ellie. They said that they might fight it through

she

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

not agree

mourned until she decided to return

had returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between

wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they

places a breakfast platter on the

up at him, surprised, "Why are you

looked miserable. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she couldn't

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

him with a blank expression.

if she

really tempting when he told her she would not be

over Ellie.

know what

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

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

she was happy

what she was feeling, but she knew that she cared about