What one can do is put up a fairly passable imitation of conviviality; of an appreciation for things as they are, feigning hope...feigning resilience.

What one cannot do, unfortunately, is pretend that any of that is true. Your fraud is seen and recognised, held in utter contempt. YOU are held in utter contempt, for the obnoxious annoyance that you are. It is hard to shield against this eventuality, this absolute shame.

Yet one must carry on. Or so they say.