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.

with her shaking arms to hold herself.

as if all the tough facade she

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

why Ellie went to L City

them. But none of that

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 be

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

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

them at first. She tried

told her that her grandparents had passed away

this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very quickly. No one

before they passed. They told the neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her worry.

she didn't believe them.

to J City. She didn't believe that any

not agree to let them leave.

mourned until she

on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between them and crying

for her to

first." He places a breakfast platter on the table

looked up at him, surprised, "Why are

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

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

looked at him with

if she should

he told her she would not

took over Ellie.

what to

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

didn't hate the idea of getting close to him.

just realized it, but she was

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