For a long time, she blamed herself.

But with time and support, Kayla came to realize the truth: It wasn’t her fault. It was never her fault. And despite the trauma, she now looks back on the day she refused to take Seth back as one of the strongest moments of her life. That was the day she reclaimed her power.

She was no longer someone living to please him. She had taken her life back.

Exactly one year after the attack, on October 18, 2018, Kayla got justice. Seth was sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated assault.

Today, Kayla refuses to see herself as a victim. She calls herself a survivor. And she wears her scar with pride — not because it defines her, but because it reminds her of the strength it took to survive.

”I will continue to wear my scars as wings and I will continue to stay kind and stay strong. And I will rise above this,” she says.