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.

shaking arms to hold

tough facade she

all by herself now. Everyone had left for real. She

Ellie went to L

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

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

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

panic after she didn't hear anything about her

to avoid talking about them at first. She tried to ask again.

one of the neighbors told her that her grandparents had passed away and it had already been

and Laura had hardly caught a cold in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very quickly.

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

hearing the story, she didn't believe them.

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

would not agree

she decided to return

to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between them and crying out

wondered why it was so hard for her to

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

surprised, "Why are

miserable. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she

last night? No

with a blank expression.

she should

tempting when he told

over

didn't know what

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

hate the idea of getting close to him.

realized it, but she was

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