Lying buys you a little time and sells you a lot of trust.

A lie solves the immediate problem and creates a slower one. You get past the difficult minute, and the price is paid later in a currency you cannot easily earn back, because trust is rebuilt only through long stretches of unremarkable honesty. The exchange rate is terrible and completely invisible at the moment of the trade.

Tell the awkward truth today while it is still small and inexpensive. If you already told the other version, correct it early rather than waiting to be found out. People forgive the mistake far more readily than the cover.