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

facade she had

Everyone had left for

reason why Ellie went to L

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

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

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

started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole day. She went to

them at first. She tried

told her that her grandparents had passed away and it had

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

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

she didn't believe them.

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

known, she would not agree to

until she decided to return

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

for her to

places a breakfast platter on the table in front of her.

at him, surprised, "Why are

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

to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last

him with a blank expression.

if she should trust

told

took over Ellie.

what to

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

hate the idea of getting close to

just realized it, but she was happy when he

what she