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

all the tough facade she had shown him earlier had started

had left for real. She was really all alone.

reason why Ellie went to L City

to spend some time and have a few nice meals with them. But none of

She assumed 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 be

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

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

talking about them at first. She tried

her that her grandparents had passed away and it had already

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

Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her worry. They also told them

she didn't believe them.

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

known, she would not agree to let them leave.

she mourned until she

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

for her to accept that they had spent a

places a breakfast platter on the table in front of

up at him, surprised, "Why are

but

told you last

with a blank

if she should

really tempting when he told

over Ellie.

didn't know what to

mark on her. She had stayed away

hate the idea of getting

was happy when he was around.

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