Your story reminds me of a Hugh Grant movie where at one point all the guests at a dinner told the sob stories of their lives and the one with the most compelling story got the last piece of cake. One of the guests was a woman in a wheelchair and another was Julia Roberts' character, an actress who could never get away from being recognized in public. They all told their stories, with the actress going last and describing her genuine travails. It seemed like she had painted a compelling picture. There was a long dramatic pause and then everyone simultaneously said "Nah!!!" and they gave the cake to the woman in the wheelchair. Hugh Grant classic rom-com!