Sotos hadn’t slept well. He kept waking up thinking about varnish receipts and tiny small-print fees that seemed to multiply when he wasn’t looking. By the time Sunday morning arrived, he was pacing beside his upcycling stall...

He opened his backpack and laid out the supplies he’d bought earlier that morning: sandpaper, varnish, glue, decorative paper, brushes, tiny pots of acrylic paint, and a replacement knob for the jewellery box. He lined them up with satisfaction—until he noticed the receipts.