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. Her tears started

facade she had

now. Everyone had left for real.

to L

have a few nice meals with them. But none of that ever happened. What was waiting for her

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,

the neighbors but never really got an answer. All of them just looked at her with sad faces and tried to avoid her.

she started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for

about them at first.

that her grandparents had passed away and

had hardly caught a cold in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of

might fight it through

story, she didn't

during their last visit to J City. She didn't believe that any sickness could just take

she would not agree to

until she

returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees,

why it was so hard for her to accept that they

eat something first." He places a breakfast platter on the table in

surprised, "Why are

swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears

last night? No matter what

looked at him with a blank

didn't know if she should

he told

over Ellie.

didn't know what to do.

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

the idea of getting close to him.

was happy

wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but