Click here to read  <a href="https://steemit.com/fiction/@mgaft1/the-side-effect-an-original-short-story-part-1-of-4">Part 1</a>

<center><h2>Mystery of a woman</h2></center>

<center>https://guardian.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Woman.jpg</center>


Bannon was infatuated by his wife, and the first half year of their life together passed like a haze. He seemed to know everything about her: her habits, gestures, facial expressions, thoughts, body. At the same time, he, the man who worked with mathematical algorithms, and helped people in their complex psychological problems, could not fully understand her. The mystery was hidden in the unexpected fling of her high eyebrows, in the velvet of her languid eyes, in the unexpected void gaze, which he sometimes caught her in the middle of their conversation. This mystery attracted him, but at the same time infuriated.

Bannon was tall, trim and worked out regularly in the gym. Still, he realized that there was a certain lack of cohesion and awkwardness in him. He was often getting excited about the discussed subject and spoke too loudly and, according to Maeve, was a little bit of a geek. Although on the appropriate occasion, Bannon was ready to give his life for his wife, he understood that this did not make him an alpha male.

When the hormonal fire began to cool down, Bannon began to notice a strange discrepancy between what really happened in the bedroom and how Maeve expressed it. It seemed to him more and more the outward expression of passion in Maeve was nothing more than a beautiful fake. In the end, he was convinced that during their lovemaking, by contrast with his own, Maeve never really was passionate but rather agreed to satisfy his desires than truly wanted intimacy and received satisfaction from it.

It bothered him, almost enraged. In bed, he brought Maeve almost to the point of insensitivity. Often, in the midst of tenderness and passion, Maeve told him

“Honey, that's enough?”

“Didn’t it feel good?”

“Yes, my love, but I'm tired. You hammered on me like a blacksmith?”

Before marriage, Bannon was involved with other women, and none of whom showed that kind of discontent. On the contrary, they expressed satisfaction unequivocally and loudly. Therefore, what happened to his beloved and desired wife, worried and annoyed him.

In moments like this was stopping immediately.

“But didn’t it feel good?”  he insisted

“Yes, honey, very good.”

 “Really?” he looked into her eyes with suspicion.

“Of course,” and in order assure him continued, “I feel so warm with you when you are near when you are so gentle and faithful.” 

He was turning on his back, and frustrated, silently looked at the ceiling. Then Maeve tried to fix the situation.

“Well, I'm sorry, dear. I rested now. You can continue if you want.”

He did not continue through but went to take a cold shower, and when returned, his wife was already asleep.

Once, he still could not resist himself but to get to the bottom of the problem.

“But ... I do not see that you receive what you should receive, what I have to give you. I know it and I feel it. Tell me what's the matter? Is there anyone else ... was before? Do you think about him?”

“No, hon. I love only you.”

“So what's the deal?”

Maeve sighed heavily and lowered her eyes for a second.

“I do not know. It's hard for me to talk about it. At first, everything is going well and I am very excited by your caresses, but when it comes to ... well, you understand ... it seems as if I am all trapped and it becomes unpleasant, and even a little painful. Not because it is you,” she tenderly touched his cheek with the back of her hand, “I do not know how to explain it.”

“Tell me ... you had a sexual experience before me ...”

“Why are you asking this?”

“Don’t worry. I'm not jealous. I just want to know...”

“I have never experienced THAT. I have always been somewhat unpleasant.”

Bannon thought. He walked over to the window and for a while looked out onto the street, cars that passed by, people walking with dogs and blooming trees.

“Forgive me for asking you this, but maybe in your childhood someone ... abused you?” He looked intensely into her eyes. “Tell me the truth.”

 “No, honey, I had a normal happy childhood. My parents loved me, spoiled me even. You know, I was late and the only child.”

“Then what’s the matter?” Bannon rubbed his temples with his hands. “Maybe ... Maybe something happened in your previous life?”

Maeve shrugged.

“In a previous life? Who knows? Why don’t you run my matrix through your identifier? Who knows? You might really come across something.”

<center>***</center>

 “Found it!” Jonathan, Bannon's assistant, rotated his chair and looking up at Bannon with a smug smile. “It is for sure her.”

“Well, and…?” 

“Her name was Abigail Garrel. She was the peasant’s daughter from a village owned by the barons of Montesquieu.”

“Is that the famous Montesquieu, the political philosopher?”

“No, this Montesquieu was some kind of ancestor of his in the 17th century. His name was Augustus. He fought in the army of Louis XIV in the Devolutionary War in Holland and was wounded in the leg. 

<center>https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/LeBrun_Louis_XIV_at_Douai_in_the_War_of_Devolution_1667.jpg</center>


It had a strange effect on him. He became a pervert. He was recruiting young maidservants, and deflowering them. That was his Friday’s entertainment. One day per week that all that he, in his age could master,” Jonathan laughed, “Anyhow, once he had his fun,  he kicked them out and took the fresh one from the village.”

 “What bastard.” Bannon gritted his teeth. “So what happened to Abigail?”

Jonathan went silent, lowered his head and looked at his boss from under eyebrows.

“It ended badly with her.”

“Meaning?”

“She jumped from the tower.”

This broke Bannon in sweat. He imagined for a moment Maeve prostrated on the ground and covered with blood.

“Why?”

“Abigail didn't want to give in.” The old libertine no longer had enough strength to unclasp her knees and went to call for servants to help him. At that moment, she pushed the old man away from the door, escaped from the room and ran up the stairs to the very top, to the tower. When the servants and the old baron appeared, she warned them that she would jump. The old man thought she was bluffing and gave the order to cease her. Then she jumped.” Bannon tilted his head and closed his eyes. The silence lasted about five seconds. Then he said.

“We’ve got to think of something to prevent this from happening.” 

“Hmmm, it would be very difficult.” Jonathan scratched his head, “I can’t even imagine what can be done. After all, Abigail was completely dependent on the old man. He could do everything he wanted with her.” 

“Run simulations, Jonathan, run them until you find something acceptable! We have to find something!”

<h2>To be continued...</h2>