With the trial coming up quickly, Jo found out that she’d have to testify, since she was there during the beating.
Jo’s fear was that, in testifying, her abusive husband would find and come after her, and she’d have to start running from him all over again.
But, she resolved to testify, and, in doing so, finally told Alex that she hasn’t been able to accept his proposals because she was already married to an abusive man.
When Alex found out about Jo’s past, he decided to save her from that potential fate, and decided, against Meredith’s protests, to take a plea deal that would see him spend two years in prison.