Take The Blame

It was me the whole time.

When a character lies and says that they're the Culprit behind a wrongdoing to cover for the real culprit and let them off the hook. This is a Sacrificial Move where one character must tell an authority figure (such as a Cop or parent) or anyone else capable of doling out punishment that they're guilty (and the one who's truly the perpetrator is innocent), occasionally also begging that the real Culprit be left alone and the fake Culprit be punished in their stead. Taking The Blame might be done for a few reasons, such as the fake Culprit loves the real one, the two are friends, or the fake Culprit has an unpaid debt to the real Culprit.