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. Her tears started

as if all the tough facade she had shown him

all by herself now. Everyone had left for

Ellie went to L City was

spend some time and have a few nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What

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 still not home, she figured that something could

an answer. All of them just looked at her

she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole

about them at

that her grandparents had passed away

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

might fight it through and they didn't

hearing the story, she didn't

City. She

not agree to let them leave.

until she decided to return

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

He wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent a

something first." He places a breakfast platter on

surprised, "Why are you

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

you last night? No matter what happens, I will

him with a

didn't know if she

really tempting when he told her she would

took over Ellie.

what to do.

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

hate the idea of getting close to

was happy when he

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