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

felt as if all the tough facade she had shown

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

Ellie went to L City was to visit her grandparents.

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

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

All of them just looked

after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents

at first.

the neighbors told her that her grandparents had passed

on them all of a

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

She didn't

she had known, she would not agree to let them

mourned until she decided to return home.

and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried

for her to

He places a breakfast platter on the table in front

looked up at him, surprised, "Why are you still

but she couldn't keep her tears from falling down.

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

him with a blank

she

when he told her she

over Ellie.

what

mark on her.

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

she was happy

what she was