EMOTION MARKET: the Tailor of Hearts - A gripping psychological thriller

by Dimitris Chasapis

  EMOTION MARKET

  By

  DIMITRIS CHASAPIS

  EMOTION MARKET

  Copyright©2016

  Dimitris Chasapis

  This is a work of fiction. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author with the exception of brief quotations used in reviews.

  To Pericles and Olga

  for being the most supportive, caring and loving parents throughout my entire life…

  Joanna Dimonasiou

  Alexandros Chatzizisis

  Anastasios Garlofis

  Emi Dikou

  for their friendship and support in this book

  Maria Dimotsiou

  Andrea Loftus

  for their help and love

  and to Ellen DeGeneres

  for being an inspiring woman

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1 ON THE WAY TO THE INTERVIEW

  CHAPTER 2 NOT NOW, NOT EVER

  CHAPTER 3 BACK HOME

  CHAPTER 4 TO MAKE LIFE BETTER

  CHAPTER 5 EMOTION MARKET MANIFEST

  CHAPTER 6 CHALLENGE ELEMENTARY

  CHAPTER 7 IN THERAPY WE … DON’T TRUST

  CHAPTER 8 A SERIOUS INVITATION

  CHAPTER 9 AT STANBORO HOSPITAL

  CHAPTER 10 AN ILLUMINATED HOUSE

  CHAPTER 11 ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

  CHAPTER 12 THE LIFE OF A STRANGER

  CHAPTER 13 NOT EVERY WOMAN’S POLITICS

  CHAPTER 14 IT’S ALL ABOUT PUBLIC OPINION

  CHAPTER 15 AT LION`S GATE AVENUE

  CHAPTER 16 VALET’S GARDEN

  CHAPTER 17 ON THE RED PHONE

  CHAPTER 18 LONDON EM

  CHAPTER 19 DEFIANCE

  CHAPTER 20 BUSINESS AS USUAL

  CHAPTER 21 PATOTTM ANNUAL CONFERENCE

  CHAPTER 22 EVERY END, A NEW BEGINNING

  CHAPTER 1

  ON THE WAY TO THE INTERVIEW

  “I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

  Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

  Caroline was terribly late to the appointment with that journalist. She thought that she had never been later for an appointment in her life, except for that time in school with that boy she was dating. This was one of the moments that in the backseat of a taxi everything seemed to go by in slow motion. She was very nervous!

  Mary Ann West worked at Journal Today. She had the reputation of a bitch. Sworn enemies of hers globally were expecting just a small mistake on her part to finish her. Fanatic admirers worshiped her. She was very much acclaimed, no doubt about that. Acclaimed, but... still a bitch!

  She could not bypass the meeting Mary Ann West had requested. It was an honor from every aspect. What could she ask her? There were so many possible questions and she didn’t feel well prepared. The phone call she had received was very short in duration. The journalist simply had announced that she wanted to interview her. Caroline thought interviews in the past were convenient. Everything was pre-recorded or in cases of live interviews, the guests at least knew the questions that would follow. But that was not the case with Mary Ann West!

  Mary Ann also had the reputation of being a sincere journalist that nobody could easily fool. Her straightness of character was disarming. The interview would be broadcasted live on Mary Ann West’s website. Her official channel held third place in the viewings of U-GLOBAL. Caroline knew that Mary Ann wouldn’t spare her even for a moment. It would be a tremendous success if she managed to elicit even a smile from her.

  “Do you prefer to go from 27th? The data tells me that the traffic in Sinners is old times!” said the taxi-driver.

  “Whatever you think. Let’s follow the T.A’s advice,” said Caroline condescendingly, trusting the traffic assistant far more than the driver.

  This phrase! Old times traffic… She found it very annoying. She wondered how it was possible for some people to think so ill of the past.

  She remained genuinely nostalgic of the past although she loved new gadgets of any sort. Old times traffic in the driver’s slang meant that the vehicles’ traffic was not automated and stable but instead, due to the blocking of the system from pedestrians, everyone drove at will!

  Caroline pulled her tablet out of her purse and connected to Mary Ann West’s channel in U-Global. Her hands trembled slightly and she realized that she loathed feeling helpless. Heavy traffic in conjunction with the fact that she was late for such an important appointment made her feel completely helpless. And scared... She saw that Mary Ann had posted a countdown for their interview. Next to the countdown was a half-page photo of Caroline with the headline The Mind Behind the Emotion. It was undoubtedly a strong headline.

  Caroline wondered if her upcoming interview was the only thing that this headline promoted. The debate between viewers and fans of Mary Ann West had fired up and everyone posted their opinion like they did in many other related blogs. Not only would everyone watch the interview live but they would also know exactly how late Caroline was for her appointment. Punctuality was an issue at the 10 with Mary Ann show.

  She still had nine minutes before the official broadcasting time of the show. There still was time! She could just make it. It was vital to respond correctly to the questions that the journalist would ask. Mary Ann West’s interviews were famous for their compressed meaning and duration. If one made the mistake to respond in vague terms, she was capable of stopping the interview and making a laughing stock out of her guest.

  Caroline decided she was not afraid of Mary Ann West.

  She had nothing to hide about her work. Everything about it was public knowledge.

  She would definitely inquire about the moral aspect of Emotion Markets. It was a safe bet. But she was prepared for that. She knew exactly what to tell her. The journalist would attempt to "play" her... No, no, she couldn’t be afraid! She knew what to say. She had thought of everything thoroughly during her research. She had thought of every related matter more than anyone else. So what if she still couldn’t understand why her ex boyfriend, Ronald, had ended their affair so unexpectedly? That remained a big mystery for her, but for some time now she had decided to have a positive and humorous attitude even for things that made her sad. For all she knew she probably didn’t really love Ronald anyway…

  In regards to her research, however, some parameters of the aftermath may not have been calculated in full, but she was not obliged to do so based on the contract she had signed. Caroline Emerson was not God and some people should finally get that!

  It suddenly started to rain heavily. Even the elements of nature intended to delay her for this interview.

  No one could blame her! She had good intentions all along. Honestly ... That’s what she would tell Mary Ann. She wondered if, at some point in the interview, she should say “I'm, above all, a woman driven by emotion.” She decided that it sounded nice. And it was a simple truth. When one tells the truth it always sounds believable. Or maybe not? If that was true, then the opposite should stand for lies. But there were so many liars with perfected skills. People who flawlessly used body language to convince. Everyone was so wary now. Almost about everything. How sad...

  The driver’s phone rang and upon him answering Caroline could clearly hear a woman screaming about how late he was again and that he had forgotten their wedding anniversary and that he was a horse’s ass for doing it again cause last year he had promised he
would never forget it, but now that he had, she understood that the jewel he got her from Biconi's was another attempt to play her for him cheating with that chubby waitress last year! She furiously ended the phone call by threatening to divorce him unless he did something shockingly nice in order for her to forgive him, and something about a funeral and a fish that Caroline did not quite get. After the woman at the other end of the line got the necessary assurances and hung up, the taxi driver, feeling genuinely ashamed, said to Caroline:

  “Sorry about all this.”

  “Never mind, just go faster please because I am awfully late for an important appointment,” she answered with relative apathy.

  Deep down, she felt entertained throughout the call and rather escaped from her stressful thoughts about the upcoming interview. Clearly the woman on the phone had major issues. She gave the driver a hidden lingering look through the main mirror and what she saw was a rather gentle man, warm in appearance, apathetic to the street traffic, so dispassionate and structured, with silver temples and a look in his eyes that slightly resembled a cow’s look. He seemed so harmless.

  The unexpected sneak peek into the driver’s personal life was over and Caroline had to remember exactly what her thoughts were just before she was interrupted. Mary Ann West would certainly ask her things about the positive side of the Emotion Markets. That shouldn’t be difficult to answer. She just had to say the right words! Caroline recalled an interview she had watched recently. The host was aggressive and wouldn’t let his guest complete his answers. It was sad to watch the poor guest being interrupted abruptly with even more questions that would be left unanswered. One could never assume what the outcome of a conversation would be.

  She would not be intimidated by Mary Ann West! Mary Ann West was globally considered to be the ultimate journalist, but she was the top in her field too… She had the Nobel Prize to prove it. But making history didn’t need a Nobel Prize. She was sure of herself and her discovery. She believed in it. She believed in a new… a better world! She knew she was a romantic in a dark period for humanity. This was one of the features that made her so different. And above all she was a woman driven by emotion!

  The driver's voice interrupted her thoughts once again. She was so absorbed in them that she failed to notice they had arrived at the destination. How ironic… Caroline handed him some cash she pulled out of her purse and without waiting for change, thanked him and slammed the taxi’s door. Fortunately she would only be a couple of minutes late. It was still pouring with rain and her umbrella now dripped all around her a screen of raindrops that licked the metal finishing holes in the green fabric. Her shoes were wet and slightly dirty, but she would find time to clean them. Mary Ann West had proposed to meet at least half an hour before the interview in order to get to know one another. It could be her tricky way for collecting personal information about her guests to use during the live interview. Or it could be that Caroline was just being paranoid.

  Perhaps it was better she was late. The building of Journal Today, known by the abbreviation J.T., seemed more imposing and severe than usual. She passed by J.T. very often when she was in New York, but it was the first time that she really observed it. She lifted her head up and admired the different volumes of the building, making their own statement in the surrounding environment. The lighting of the building was extravagant! She remembered reading that the architect had used the awarded ... Ouch!! If she had made one more step ahead, she would have dived into one of the flower beds that decorated the entrance of J.T. Cleaning her wet shoes was one thing, but asking for a brand new outfit from Mary Ann West was another!

  “Get a grip woman!” she said aloud.

  Clearly the doorman of J.T., who had spotted her for some time now, would think she was crazy. She merely grinned with clumsiness and the doorman replied with a smile of sympathy.

  “Excuse me please, on which floor is Mary Ann West’s office? It’s the 58th right?”

  “That is correct Miss Emerson. She is waiting for you.”

  Caroline was in such a hurry that she refrained from asking him how the hell he knew who she was. She couldn’t be the only person that Mary Ann West was meeting tonight. Then again he might have recognized her from the photo on the website. She was still wondering while she waited for the elevator to arrive at the lobby.

  Upon arrival on the 58th floor, she saw a man behind a frontiers desk. The secretary of Mary Ann West was a rigorous 35-year-old who didn’t invite her to sit. He showed her the way she should go by saying,

  “Miss West awaits.”

  Caroline thought that this secretary seemed more frightened than she was. Punctuality and consistency were definitely required qualifications for the post of that poor bastard. He appeared so captive of Mary Ann’s desires…

  She opened the door that he pointed and gazed around for some seconds before she heard the voice of Mary Ann West. The voice came from a hallway of libraries on her right.

  “Caroline Emerson... Such an honor!” said Mary Ann extending her hand.

  “The honor is mine, Mary Ann! I hope you will forgive me for being late. An unexpected event prevented me from ...”

  “I have no problem, dear Miss Emerson. Arriving late for 10 with Mary Ann demonstrates confidence on your part. I admire confident people!

  “Yes… but you see…”

  “The fans of my website though, are very impatient. The countdown for your interview has had a plus sign in front of it for five and a half minutes now. I think we shouldn’t let them wait any longer; what do you think?” said the journalist in a cheerful, yet slightly sarcastic manner.

  "Yes, yes of course. We can start whenever you want," modestly replied Caroline.

  “Crew in 2!” cried Mary Ann West to an unspecified direction. Caroline thought that the journalist seemed to like sentences with words that rhymed – “10 with Mary Ann,” “crew in 2.” Everyone had their obsessions after all. They were easy to spot if someone bothered. She smiled because Mary Ann’s obsession was easy to spot. And it was also kind of funny...

  With her announcement of crew in 2, seven people had instantly appeared from nowhere and began setting the cameras and lights for the show.

  The journalist welcomed Caroline to the set of the show and sat her down in her designated chair. Everyone knew the set of this particular show. Caroline felt exhilarated by facing the familiar comfortable brown leather armchairs, a small coffee table with a vintage reading lamp on it and all this against the crystal background with a panoramic view. All kinds of important personalities had sat there and many had suffered. Many of them had felt extremely uneasy while sitting on these chairs for the 10 minute duration of the show. She, on the other hand, had nothing to fear. Nothing! She quickly glanced at the view from the 58th floor. New York looked sensational from this window.

  While people of the crew were finalizing details in lighting and sound and waiting for the signal, a girl powdered Mary Ann’s nose and forehead. Caroline refused the girl’s make-up services. She believed her make-up was right for the occasion.

  This time the countdown was not electronic on Mary Ann’s website but live and audio...

  9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 go!

  The set was filled with the show’s welcome theme and its characteristic music.

  “Dear viewers, welcome to 10 with Mary Ann.”

  “Tonight, with us is Caroline Emerson; a Nobel awarded doctor, to discuss her discovery, which is characterized by many as the discovery of the millennium! Caroline Emerson, welcome!”

  “Thank you, Mary Ann. Thank you for having me. It’s an honor!” Caroline smiled brightly, hoping it would mask her nervousness.

  “The honor is all ours, Caroline. I suppose you are aware that on this show we speak loudly and firmly of the truth, without fear and vague terms, and because time is short I will skip any mention of your medical career in neurology and the chronicle of your discovery. What I want to ask is... how do you feel?” This was a tactic she often used
– a simple question to make her guest feel comfortable before she would hopefully catch them off guard when she went into attack mode.

  “I feel very well. Moderately optimistic,” said Caroline with a smile.

  “Why moderately?"

  “Like everyone, I try to imagine how this whole frenzy will evolve.” Caroline was already feeling the heat from the bright lights and the intensity of the cameras, but she was determined to maintain her composure.

  “Shouldn’t you have already imagined the evolution?” Mary Ann leaned forward with an inquisitive look on her face.

  “Yes, I should, I mean I have imagined it. Generally, I have thought so much on the subject… more than anyone else I presume.”

  “And…? Please continue.” Mary Ann could sense the nervousness of her guest and she found it deeply satisfying. She enjoyed the effect she had on even the smartest and most powerful people.

  “And… emotions have always dominated the lives of humans. Even in ancient times… Even before we started recording history. My discovery is a way to improve and control emotions at will! It’s something I dreamed of since I was little.” Caroline spoke with passion as she sat up a little higher in her chair.

  “Can’t we control our own feelings?” asked Mary Ann incredulously.

  “Some of us can to a certain extent, others can’t. That’s the way things are. The medical technology of an Emotion Market mainly refers to those around us who find it difficult to control and evolve their emotions.” This question often came up in interviews, so Caroline was ready for it.

  “You’re talking about emotions in general, but what about bad emotions? What about malice and hatred and the tendency to be violent? Can one tamper with these as well at a desired intensity?” Mary Ann raised her eyebrows at Caroline and waited on her response.