History Main / WasItAllALie

Of course, any of these responses can be a disguise for another (either keeping one's options open just in case, or [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim burning bridges]] [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy to let their victim get over the betrayal]]).

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8964251/39/The-Supernovas-of-Mass-Effect The Supernovas of Mass Effect]]'', the Normandy crew feel heartbroken and betrayed upon learning the truth about their four leaders, the titular "Supernovas": they're cosmic vigilantes not native to their galaxy who were assigned to "re-do" the ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' story to achieve a better outcome (think DivineIntervention with the "divine" part). They ask the four if all they accomplished together was a lie, and they try to assure them that despite lying about ''what'' they are, they never lied about ''who'' the are.

* ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'': {{Discussed|Trope}} Shinji thinks of his mentor and of how they knew that even if they backstabbed each other, they would always care for each other. When he is starting to live with Misato he thinks that if he ever found the need to betray Misato (and he could think of some few scenarios where he would consider it) she would have to die instantly, without knowing what had happened (However that was a brief phase. Shortly after [[LoveInterest Asuka]], [[EmotionlessGirl Rei]] and [[ParentalSubstitute Misato]] became his dearest people whom he would never betray, and if someone hurt them he would make that person dying extremely painfully).

* ''Fanfic/TheWolvesInTheWoodsMiraculousLadybug'': Alya secretly knew that [[spoiler:Lila was lying to everyone]], but went along with it as part of an [[DidntThinkThisThrough ill-concieved plan]] to keep Marinette reliant on her toxic "friendship". When Nino [[InternalReveal finally finds out]], he angrily questions whether ''any'' of her relationships mattered to her, not just ''theirs'':

* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', the good aliens - having no concept of fiction as entertainment - are shaken to learn that the people they called upon to save them from the evil Sarris are in fact actors in an old cancelled TV Sci-Fi show, Galaxy Quest, and the 'Historical Documents' they received were in fact reruns of the show. After [[spoiler: the actors defeat Sarris]], the good aliens think that it was all a scheme to deceive Sarris.

* In the movie ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', the titular couple have recently discovered that they are both professional assassins-- who work for opposite sides. So Mr. Smith asks this question of Mrs. Smith over the phone, as they're both driving towards a mutually-agreed upon location wherein they'll try to kill each other. Mrs. Smith calmly assures her husband that it was indeed 'strictly business, nothing personal'-- and as soon as he hangs up, breaks down crying at herself, as she was lying the entire time.

* ''Film/{{Thoroughbreds}}'': Lily and Amanda were best friends as kids, but drifted apart. However, they start hanging out again as teenagers -- and while they were apart, Amanda has been diagnosed with a nameless disorder that makes her [[EmotionlessGirl literally incapable of emotion]]. She admits to Lily she was ''always'' like this, she was just faking it or in denial before. So, naturally, Lily has to wonder if any of their friendship is genuine, or if it ever was. (For her part, Amanda does seem genuinely attached to Lily, or at the very least, respects her and tries to help her out in her [[MoralSociopathy own way]]. So that's ''something''.)

* Once the penny drops at the end of ''[[https://thecrewofthecoppercoloredcupids.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/the-resurrection-of-the-wellsians/ The Resurrection of the Wellsians]]'' (a ''[[Website/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids Copper-Colored Cupids]]'' short story), Mandragora seems genuinely hurt when his assistant Digger reveals his stupidity was [[ObfuscatingStupidity feigned]] in a effort to get him to reveal his secrets, and asks him if any of it was real. Yes, Digger answers; he really ''does'' like to dig holes in the ground to keep himself entertained. [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext No reason.]]

* A variant appears in ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'', when a con-man who has fallen in love with his mark is murdered by his partner in the con; it ends up being Beckett, who is investigating the con-man's death, who has to reassure the woman that while the con-man's identity was initially a hoax, his feelings for her were genuine and that "you made him want to be a better man." Ironically, this is after Beckett has spent the entire episode cynically rejecting the idea that the con-man could have felt anything for the woman, convinced it was all just part of his con. The truth is left ambiguous.

** And you can imagine Kevin, Kate's husband from "I do," would have invoked this trope when she told him, "my name's not Monica," if she hadn't already drugged him half-way to unconsciousness.

* In the fifth and six seasons of ''Series/{{Monk}}'', Captain Stottlemeyer meets a real estate dealer named Linda Fusco whom he begins dating, but their personal lives eventually force them to only see each other via Skype chats. Then Monk and Natalie expose Linda for using one of these chats as an alibi to gun down her former business associate. Stottlemeyer is left wondering if she truly felt anything for him or intentionally started dating him to begin setting up her crime, [[TearJerker even as he throws away the engagement ring he was planning on proposing to her with.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': In one iteration of Eobard Thawne's origin, he had been mentored by a time-traveling Barry and had viewed him as a ParentalSubstitute until Thawne traveled back in time and heard Barry say the same motivational phrase he had encouraged Thawne with to Wally West. Thawne [[InsaneTrollLogic immediately concluded]] Barry was manipulating him and decided to [[DisproportionateRetribution ruin his life in retaliation]].

* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'': Nagisa asks this of [[spoiler:Akari Yukimura, after she sheds her "Kaede Kayano" mask]]. [[spoiler:She admits that yes, everything was an act, since she is an actress playing a fragile, upbeat schoolgirl, going so far as to bottle up all the pain and anger she felt from having self-implanted her tentacles and being so close to the creature she always thought was her sister's murderer, all for the sake of her role.]] He manages to get through to her, though, by making her realize that her experiences with her classmates where too real to just be an act.

* In ''Manga/ImmortalRain'', it's not romantic, but Rain does ask Yuca this about their childhood in the orphanage before [[spoiler:Yuca handed over their entire orphan family (including the girl Rain loved) to military science and made Rain immortal]]. He hasn't yet answered.
** It probably was all a lie for Freya.

* Gilbert Nightray in ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' has this to say when he learns that [[spoiler: Oswald was his former master and that HIS body was sealed up in five stones, NOT JACK. He also says this trope when it is revealed that Jack was EvilAllAlong and that he was the real cause of the Tragedy of Sablier.]]
* ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'' has [[spoiler:Tsukune Aono's relationship with Hokuto Kaneshiro. This guy is another human, at the school for monsters, injected with monster blood, packing a holy lock, and acts as though he intends to make Yokai peaceful. When Hokuto sheds his mask, Tsukune asks if he was really lying the whole time. Hokuto says yes. Tsukune doesn't give a damn.]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In the third chapter of ''Webcomic/AsteroidQuest'', when protagonist Itcher's latest fling turns out to be a plant as he suspected, he asks her "how much of it was a lie?" Her answer is a cheerful "Surprisingly little!"
* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Chapter "Uncovered", Ozpin goes into a rant about how he's been betrayed so much that he can no longer trust anyone else with the full truth. Hearing this, Ruby questions if his previous statements on having faith in humanity were just lies to keep the rest of them pacified.

* ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'': In a romantic example, Anne Shirley's love interest [[DerailingLoveInterests Roy Gardner]] asks this of her when she shoots down his proposal, saying she could never love him. Given they'd been dating two years, Roy was understandably upset.

Was it all a lie?\\

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', Connie and Jean confront [[spoiler: Reiner and Bertolt]] with this after learning of their betrayal. [[spoiler: The friendship was real, but Bertolt claims their actions were [[NecessarilyEvil necessary]] even if he knows they can never be forgiven]]. As it turns out, [[spoiler: Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were aware the whole time that the inhabitants of the walls were NOT the last of humanity as everyone else believed. They were the same race as the wall inhabitants (Eldians), but had lived in ghettos in the neighboring country, known as Marley, which was seeking revenge against the Eldians of the walls, which were on an island called Paradis. The trio, and others, were thoroughly indoctrinated to believe that the islanders were evil and that it was their duty to steal their King's (now Eren's) Titan power and wipe them out so that the Eldians living on Marley could be forgiven for their past injustices against the Marleyans of old. Upon arriving on the island, however, they, Reiner especially, realized that the islanders were people just like them, but they were so thoroughly dedicated to advancing the Eldians on Marley that they went through with their mission, anyway, even as they now knew that they were iredeemable monsters for inciting what essentially amounted to a genocide of the walls.]]

*** [[spoiler: Kallen didn't completely believe it, either, because as she walked away, she heard Lelouch say "Kallen, you have to live." It was later on, when she kisses Lelouch to see what he really feels, and his face remains expressionless, that she decides to believe it and sever ties with him. "Then, goodbye, Lelouch." "Then, it is goodbye, Kallen." (Kallen didn't hear him say that, and the viewers don't get to see Lelouch's face when he says that.)]]
*** However, she still had enough belief in Lelouch to understand [[spoiler: the Zero Requiem, and what Lelouch was trying to achieve with it. In the end, she realises it wasn't a lie.]]

* Franchise/XMen
** ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'' When the cruel and sociopathic imposter Opul Lun Sat-Yr-9 revealed she had killed Courtney Ross and taken her place, this Trope was Zigzagged. It was certainly a lie towards Captain Britain and most of the team. Kitty was hit a lot harder by this Trope, however, seeing as "Courtney" was a mentor to her, helping Kitty enroll in the St. Searle's School for Young Ladies, and arranging a deal to save St. Searle's from bankruptcy. Whether it was the first or second type in that case is unclear.
** Magneto's response to [[spoiler:Angel's]] betrayal in Comicbook/UncannyXmen2016.

* In ''Fanfic/TheStudentPrince'', Arthur questions his friendship with Merlin after he [[spoiler:learns that Merlin is a magic user]], suspecting that Merlin only got close to Arthur [[spoiler:as yet another surveillance member ensuring Arthur's safety]].
* ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'': Discussed. Shinji thinks of his mentor and of how they knew that even if they backstabbed each other, they would always care for each other. When he is starting to live with Misato he thinks that if he ever found the need to betray Misato (and he could think of some few scenarios where he would consider it) she would have to die instantly, without knowing what had happened (However that was a brief phase. Shortly after [[LoveInterest Asuka]], [[EmotionlessGirl Rei]] and [[ParentalSubstitute Misato]] became his dearest people whom he would never betray, and if someone hurt them he would make that person dying extremely painfully).
* ''Fanfic/WeightOfTheWorld'': Spoken nearly word for word in the second book ''The Shattered Soul'' when [[spoiler: an amnesiac America]] is betrayed by his [[FalseFriend "friends"]] [[spoiler: Neo, Roman, and Mercury.]] They took advantage of his [[spoiler: amnesia]] and pretended to be his friends in order to keep him compliant as they brought him to [[ViceCity Kuchinashi]] and were perfectly willing to give him to Salem's forces if they caught up to them.
* In ''Fanfic/ForeverHeMan'' He-Man's parents, and Teela, have this reaction upon learning the truth about Prince Adam being He-Man.

* ''Fanfic/TheRigelBlackChronicles'': When "Rigel" leaves Hogwarts [[spoiler: because she was exposed as a half-blood]], Draco is left feeling like the world has been pulled out from under him, especially when she [[spoiler: calls in his life-debt to stop him from trying to find her.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Draco''': How could you? Rigel...\\

* The protagonist of ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'' contacts the Gordanian clan ruling over Tamaran and arranges to buy their stock of slaves, with a view to on-selling them individually to the domestic market. A few days after picking up the delivery, he comes back with a fleet, wrecks the Gordanian ships, and maroons them on another world with no engine or communications.
--> '''Zaark''': Why did you do this? We had a business relationship. I thought that you-.\\
'''Paul''': I lied constantly throughout our discussion and used the ring to disguise how I really felt. My homeworld formally abolished slavery worldwide ninety years ago, all major nation states having long since abandoned the practice. I told you what I needed to in order to secure the release of the Tamaraneans.

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'': Twilight Sparkle's CorruptTheCutie process is based entirely on the [[ManipulativeBastard machinations]] of [[TheUsurper Prince Jewelius]], who gets her to trust him by acting understandingly toward her while she gets the cold shoulder from everyone else close to her, and then isolating her from her loved ones and claiming that they never truly cared about her. However, while Twilight vents out her feelings of anger and hurt toward her former loved ones, attempts to disown them, and does little to help them out of their status as [[HeroWithBadPublicity despised pariahs]], they still keep trying to appeal to her better nature, and Celestia in particular gives her and everypony else a touching apology when the alicorn faces a [[spoiler:PublicExecution]]. Further doubt is seeded when Chrysalis tells her the same CassandraTruth that she refused to listen to from the exiled heroes, namely that [[spoiler:Jewelius is a manipulative [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who won't hesitate to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness get rid of her once he's gotten all he can out of her]], as he did with Chrysalis herself]]. As Jewelius' [[TyrantTakesTheHelm questionable ruling style]] causes her and the citizens to start doubting him, particularly due to his focus on the exiles instead of [[spoiler:the escaped Changeling army which they have much bigger concerns about]], Twilight eventually [[spoiler:gets the EvilPrince to [[JustBetweenYouAndMe finally confirm]] to Twilight that he really ''is'' exactly as horrible as had been previously claimed, and that their [[DarwinistDesire one-sided relationship]] was based on nothing but a cruel, bald-faced lie. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain This is the beginning of the end for Jewelius']] ShortLivedLeadership, for the chain of events that follows costs him the support of everypony he manipulated, starting with Twilight cutting all ties with him, escaping to Ponyville, and reconciling with her friends, brother, and mentor]].

* In ''Film/TheManFromUNCLE2015'', after [[spoiler: Gaby seemingly betrays them]], Solo attempts to comfort Illya [[spoiler: whose feelings for Gaby were genuine.]]
--> '''Solo''': [[spoiler: She fooled me too.]]
--> '''Kuryakin''': [[ItMeantSomethingToMe IT'S NOT THE SAME!]]

-->'''Elizabeth''': Everything you said to me, every word, was a lie!
-->'''Jack''': Pretty much.

* Non-romantic example in ''[[Literature/NineteenEightyFour 1984]]'', after being caught by [[spoiler: O'Brien]], Winston at one point asks if [[spoiler: there really is an underground movement against Big Brother, since the one that O'Brien led him into was a trap laid by the Thought Police]]. The villain gives the reply: "[[MindScrew You will never know.]]"
* [[TheSmartGuy Amy]] wonders this in ''Literature/The39Clues'' after Ian [[IWasOnlyPretendingToLikeYou pretends to love her]] so he and [[SpoiledBrat his sister]] can run off with her and [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling her brother]]'s clue. As it turns out, [[spoiler:it wasn't.]]

--> [[spoiler: Saul Tight:]] My name is [[spoiler: Saul Tigh]], I am an officer in the Colonial Fleet. Whatever else I am, whatever else it means, that's the man I want to be.

-->'''Juliet''': Are you telling me this is all a lie?
-->'''Shawn''': Please don't make me answer that.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': After [[spoiler:Airy is revealed to be the BigBad]], the party confronts them in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. Agnès asks if all the hardships they went through and the friendship they developed were all lies. The answer is [[spoiler: a pained cry for help, for a demon is controlling her and she can't do anything about it. Agnès is initially shocked, but then it turns into a cruel type 1, as ''that'' was a lie too, and Airy has no remorse whatsoever for what she has done]].

* Dahlia to Phoenix in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' was very much a lie, as [[spoiler:the real Dahlia was a complete bitch. But for the "Dahlia" Phoenix knew, it was very much real]].

-->[[spoiler:'''Ada''']]: I really hoped it wouldn't end like this.
-->'''Leon''': So that's all this was... I was just some pawn to you?

* Diala Rheinhart asked this question at the end of ''VideoGame/TheTrappedTrilogy'', [[spoiler: after Dan [=McNeely=] reveals that the Immorgamsics solution rewrote her past memories, swapping out [=McNeely=] in Diala's relationship for someone else named Mickey Lee; and the fact that Diala led the Armored Gamsees gang from the beginning.]] This example doesn't really hold the story together that well, though.
* Shiki and Ciel's relationship in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' goes through this during [[MultipleEndings Ciel's path]], specifically with Ciel trying (unsuccessfully) to hide that it's the second answer.
** The end of Hisui's route when Shiki is questioning [[spoiler:Kohaku about how she really feels. Kohaku more or less admits that yes, she really was Akiha's friend... which means she just betrayed her best friend and has no reason to live anymore and attempts suicide (failed in the Good Ending, successfully in the True Ending). Actually, Kohaku asks ''herself'' this during her own route. Gives a little hint to [[StepfordSmiler her]] [[TheWoobie emotional]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds state]], [[BrokenSmile no]]?]]

-->'''Wolf:''' How could I ever trust her again?!
-->'''Benson:''' Because your friendship isn't a lie. You're practically sisters. You can't fake that.
-->'''Wolf:''' You're wrong. You ''can'' fake it.

** [[spoiler: Bismuth, one of the original Crystal Gems, behaved like this when Rose rejected her plan to shatter their Homeward oppressors with the Breaking Point on the grounds that it's wrong to take a life. This made Bismuth believe that Rose was a traitor to her own cause for sympathizing with the enemy, and that everything she said about being who you want to be was a cruel lie.]]

** After the [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore story-shattering]] [[TheReveal reveal]] that [[spoiler:Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond were the same person]], Sapphire [[BrokenPedestal is so distraught]] [[spoiler: over the fact that Rose was actually their (supposed) mortal enemy that she starts questioning all the "lies" Rose had told her. She even begins to doubt that her romantic relationship with Ruby was ever genuine, because Rose was the first one to support them being together. Fortunately, Pearl telling Sapphire the true story behind Rose's origins and motivations helps her realize that while Rose was not perfect, she ''did'' truly care about the Earth and the Crystal Gems, and Sapphire's relationship with Ruby was always genuine.]]

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E105ValleyOfTheShadow Valley of the Shadow]]", Philip Redfield asks Ellen Marshall if she was merely pretending to be in love with him as part of the SecretTest to determine whether he was worthy of gaining access to the equations used by the townspeople to create their AppliedPhlebotinum. She reveals to him that her feelings for him were genuine.

-->[[spoiler:'''Anna''']]: It wasn't all lies. I let you go...my love.
-->[[spoiler:'''Avon''']]: Oh, no, you never let me go. You never did.
* A variant appears in ''Series/{{Castle}}'', when a con-man who has fallen in love with his mark is murdered by his partner in the con; it ends up being Beckett, who is investigating the con-man's death, who has to reassure the woman that while the con-man's identity was initially a hoax, his feelings for her were genuine and that "you made him want to be a better man." Ironically, this is after Beckett has spent the entire episode cynically rejecting the idea that the con-man could have felt anything for the woman, convinced it was all just part of his con. The truth is left ambiguous.

* In the YA satire ''Waste of Space'' by Gina D'Amico, there's a reversal in that the character who was pretending is a much better and more likeable person than the {{Jerkass}} who asks (additionally, this character was lying to ''everyone'' via ObfuscatingStupidity in order to get on the reality show for the prize). The answer is, basically, that [[spoiler: Bacardi]] just genuinely wanted to get laid; the casual sex playing into the "vapid bimbo" persona was just a side effect. Also, [[spoiler: she]] is not sorry about the lie, and points out that actually, it's a ''good'' thing it was a lie, because [[spoiler: if she had actually been as intoxicated as she was pretending to be, he would be a rapist several times over by now.]] Putting the bar on the ground, the UpperClassTwit gets some credit for being genuinely chastened by this.