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.

wrapped herself with her shaking arms to hold

if all the tough facade she had

all by herself now. Everyone had left for real. She was really

went to L City was to visit her

meals with them. But none of

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

really got an answer. All of them

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

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried to ask

that her grandparents had passed away and it had already been a month.

in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very

that they might fight

she didn't believe them.

City. She didn't believe that any sickness could just take their lives.

she had known, she would not agree to

she decided to return home.

then, Francis had returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed,

it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent

something first." He places a breakfast platter on

him, surprised, "Why are

miserable. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears from falling

"Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you. You are

at him with a blank expression.

she should trust

tempting when he told her she would not be alone.

took over

know what to do.

parents' failed marriage had left a huge traumatic mark on her. She had stayed away

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

realized it, but she was

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