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.

herself with her shaking arms to hold herself. Her tears started

facade she had shown him

Everyone had left for real. She

to L City was to visit her

But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her was the news she never expected.

wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But

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

she 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 the neighbors

avoid talking about them at first.

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

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

They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want to make her worry. They also told them that

hearing the story, she didn't believe

J City. She didn't

she had known, she would not agree to let them

days she mourned until she decided to return home.

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

bad. He wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they had

He places a breakfast

at him, surprised, "Why are you still

looked miserable. Her eyes were red and swollen, but

to her, Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night?

at him with

know if she should trust him.

when he told her

over Ellie.

know what to do.

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

didn't hate the idea

realized it, but she was happy when he was around.

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