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.

her shaking arms to hold herself. Her tears started

the tough facade she had shown him earlier had started crumbling.

by herself now. Everyone had left for real.

L City was to visit her grandparents.

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

went out for some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But when it was getting dark, and

really got an answer. All of them just looked at her

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

avoid talking about them at

had passed away and

of a sudden. With their age,

to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight

hearing the story, she didn't believe

She didn't believe

not agree to let them

she mourned until she decided

returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between them and crying out loud.

was so hard for her to accept that

first." He places a breakfast platter

him, surprised,

swollen, but she

"Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you. You are not

with a blank expression.

if she should trust

when he told her she would not

over

know what

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

didn't hate the idea of

she was happy when he was around.

lost. She wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but she knew that she cared