Surpraise for You

Zoe saw Max bowing down from the stage with his head lowered, seemingly relishing the aftermath of yesterday's news.

Journalists and music commentators were harshly critical of his performance. They understood that Max was unwell, but they hoped he would choose not to perform if his condition was that bad. It was embarrassing to witness a musician's poor performance at a music awards show.

Sickness was the reason Max provided after the event—Nova's representative gave a press statement. It was clear to Zoe that the reason Max provided, sickness, was undoubtedly a lie. Zoe knew exactly what had happened. Max would never see those socks again, and perhaps they were now in another state, following the flow of a river.

Zoe was relieved that Max's trust in that foolish superstition remained the same when she found it yesterday. Max would likely recover and wouldn't depend on his lucky socks after today. But Zoe had successfully stained his career, and the impact would disturb his performan