As the entire room was left in stunned silence, Caitlin continued, “For this performance, I’ll need a large stone slab, a steel hammer, and a long bench. Please prepare them for me. Also, I’ll need a guest to join me on stage to assist with the performance!”
Caitlin’s eyes scanned the crowd, and when they landed on Simon, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. If she picked him to come up, he would likely suggest that they switch to a safer act. But Caitlin’s gaze moved on quickly, leaving the boys in the audience curious about who would be chosen as her “lucky” helper.
Finally, Caitlin’s eyes landed on Sebastian in the front row. Their gazes met, and Sebastian instinctively furrowed his brows. What was she doing?
He shot a quick glance at her, unscrewed a bottle of water, and took a leisurely sip. Caitlin smiled faintly, then said, “In that case, I’d like to invite Mr. Vanderbilt to come up and assist me!”
“Pfft…”
The unexpected announcement caused Sebastian to choke on his water. Was this woman doing this on purpose?
The entire room buzzed with excitement. Was Caitlin trying to use this opportunity to reconcile with Sebastian?
Sebastian remained still, his cold eyes fixed on her, not giving an inch. Caitlin, however, added with enthusiasm, “Let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome Mr. Vanderbilt to the stage!”
The applause was deafening. Sebastian had no choice but to rise and walk toward the stage, though he seemed to look at Caitlin with a mixture of sympathy and disdain. He probably thought her decision to perform the chest-breaking stone trick was a ridiculous one, and he was about to face the consequences of that foolishness.
As Caitlin stood there, calm and unruffled, the staff quickly set up the props-a long bench, a large stone slab, and a steel hammer. Caitlin, unfazed, turned to the audience, saying, “Great, let’s proceed. Mr. Vanderbilt, please lie down here.”
Sebastian froze, turning to face Caitlin, his eyebrow twitching. “What?” he thought. “Lie down? Are you joking?”
The audience’s excitement only increased. They had assumed Caitlin was going to perform the trick herself, but instead, she was setting up Sebastian to be the “prop” for the trick. Everyone laughed in disbelief, but some began to wonder: was this some kind of subtle revenge from the ex-wife?
Caitlin’s “chest-breaking stone” act wasn’t what anyone had expected. Instead of her smashing the stone on her own chest, she planned to have Sebastian as the subject. As the realization hit, Sebastian’s expression darkened.
With a slight smile, Caitlin said, “Mr. Vanderbilt, please.”
Sebastian reluctantly lay down on the bench. He’d never thought he’d find himself in such a position, all because of Caitlin’s “brilliant” idea.
The bench was slightly too short, so his legs hung off the edge. Caitlin then took a piece of cloth and spread it over him. As the cloth fell lightly over his body, it brushed against his face, and he caught a subtle, pleasant scent.
While covering him, Caitlin explained, “I’m just laying this cloth to avoid dirtying Mr. Vanderbilt’s clothes. Now, let’s lift the stone slab onto his chest.”
The stone slab was heavy and required two men to lift it and place it carefully onto Sebastian’s chest. Caitlin feigned concern, asking, “Mr. Vanderbilt, how does it feel? Are you alright?”
Sebastian shot her a cold, murderous look, silently urging her to experience the discomfort for herself.
“Good! Mr. Vanderbilt seems fine! Now, let’s witness the miracle! Will this large stone crack under the force?”
Caitlin switched the microphone for the hammer, and the tension in the room skyrocketed. Everyone held their breath, especially Sebastian’s younger female fans, who were now worried for him. What if the stone crushed him?
Caitlin raised the hammer high above her head, preparing to strike the stone. The crowd waited in suspense, and Sebastian’s face grew darker by the second.
With a dramatic swing, Caitlin brought the hammer down-slightly off-center, hitting the edge of the stone slab and causing a small piece to break off.
The crowd gasped. They thought she had missed the center, but only Sebastian could feel the full force. The weight of the hammer seemed to pierce through the stone and hit his chest directly.
That hurt. It hurt a lot.
Caitlin continued striking, one blow after another. The audience, unsure whether Caitlin was a novice at this act, thought she was inept. Most performers could shatter the stone with a single blow to the center, but Caitlin seemed unable to hit the mark.
Sebastian gritted his teeth, enduring the blows. He was now certain: this was Caitlin’s form of revenge. She wasn’t just performing a trick-she was getting back at him.
Finally, after seven strikes, the stone slab shattered, sending pieces flying everywhere. Caitlin took a step back and gestured for Sebastian to get up.
Sebastian rose from the bench, shaking off the remnants of the shattered stone. As he stood, he picked up a larger fragment that had landed on his chest. To his shock, the fragment was shaped like a heart.
The crowd erupted in astonished cheers.
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
“Ahhh! I’ve never seen a stone break like that!”
Sebastian, still in disbelief, looked at the heart-shaped stone in his hand. How had Caitlin managed to shape the stone like this? Was it intentional? Or had it been some sort of trick?
“Thank you for your applause,” Caitlin said with a smile, taking the microphone and handing it back to the host. “And thank you to Mr. Vanderbilt for his cooperation. This piece of stone is for him, as a souvenir.”
With that, Caitlin walked off the stage, and Sebastian, still holding the heart-shaped stone, made his way back to his seat amid the loud applause. His fans looked at him in awe, admiring the unique “souvenir” he had received.
Everyone was still talking about the performance as Caitlin returned to her seat. Wendy grabbed her arm, nearly bursting with excitement.
“Caitlin, that was amazing! Your performance was the best by far!”
Caitlin maintained her usual calm demeanor as her classmates looked at her with new respect.
But Simon, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy toward Sebastian. How lucky he was to be on stage with Caitlin, and to receive such a unique “gift”-a heart-shaped stone. If only he had been the one to receive it.
It was safe to say that Caitlin’s performance was the highlight of the evening, leaving a lasting impression on everyone.
Meanwhile, the host continued announcing the next act, and Phoebe finally took the stage. As she glanced at Sebastian in the front row, she tried to contain her excitement. This was her moment, and she was going to make sure Sebastian noticed her this time.