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.

to hold herself. Her tears

all the tough facade she had shown him earlier had started

left for real.

Ellie went to L City

But none of that ever

was home when she arrived. 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

asked the neighbors but never really got an answer. All of them just looked at her with sad

they looked at her. However, she started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole

to avoid talking about them at first.

grandparents had passed

had hardly caught a cold in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age,

seemed to know 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

story, she didn't

grandparents were fine during their last visit to J City. She didn't believe that any

had known, she would not agree to let

until she decided

and saw her sitting on the

for her to accept that

a breakfast

at him, surprised, "Why are you

miserable. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she

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

at him with a blank

if she

really tempting when he told her

over

what

mark on her. She had stayed away from men for

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

was happy when

sure about what she