When it comes to being told the truth or a lie I would much rather be told the truth no matter how bad it was over being told a lie just so that I wouldn't be upset. Many people will tell a lie in a bid to protect someone from the truth but I always feel that does more harm than good.
I would go with the painful truth all the time. I would feel better after a while but getting the comforting lies and only to get the sad truth later will be very painful.