Crushing Little Things

Juliette Violet Valentine never intended to be a problem child; she just never tried very hard not to be. She was simply a product of her environment, a voyeur into the unscrupulous world of her misguided, calculating mother. Juliette never meant to weaponize the family dog. She and Spike were just playing… Besides, rabies shots aren’t that painful. Her younger sister, Anna? That was an unfortunate accident. Juliette’s mother was guilty of ignoring her at the worst possible time; therefore, she deserved to be punished.

Juliette had been a very bad girl, but she appeared to be the perfect child. At just fifteen years old, Juliette had it all: beauty, grace, charm, and talent. She mastered the art of gymnastics, astonishing even the most accomplished coaches and judges. Juliette effortlessly captured the attention of the one and only talent coordinator near her tiny town, soon becoming the girl everyone recognized from the Sunday newspaper. Unfortunately, being the perfect little prodigy became quite dull. She found herself choreographing exciting adventures that did not always turn out so well for everyone else. Juliette craved a challenge, soon setting her sights on Jonathon. He quickly became her pet project. Getting his attention was not enough; she wanted to own him. What Juliette did not expect was to experience actual human emotions and the desire to put someone else ahead of herself.

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