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.

arms to hold herself.

felt as if all the tough facade she had

Everyone had left for real. She was

why Ellie went to L

nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened.

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

them just

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

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried to

her that her grandparents had passed away and it

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

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

she didn't believe

She didn't believe that any sickness could just take

known, she would not agree to let them

she mourned until she decided to

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

felt really bad. He wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent a night

something first." He places a breakfast platter on the table in

at him, surprised, "Why

were red and swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears from falling

forget what I told you last night? No matter

at him with a blank expression.

if she should trust

tempting when he told her she would not be alone.

took over Ellie.

didn't know what to

on her. She

the idea of getting close

she was happy

about what she was feeling, but she