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

she had

Everyone had left for real. She

Ellie went to L City was to visit

meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What was

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,

of them just looked at her with

didn't care 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

about them at first. She tried

told her that her grandparents had passed away and it had already

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

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

the story, she didn't believe

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

she had known, she would not agree to let them

mourned until she decided

her sitting on the

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

breakfast platter on the table in front

at him, surprised, "Why

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

to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you. You are not

him with a blank expression.

didn't know if she should trust him.

it sounded really tempting when he told her she would not be

took over Ellie.

didn't know what to

failed marriage had left a huge traumatic mark on

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

but she was happy

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