compromised our commitment

That’s called breaking a promise. A commitment is a promise. Not fulfilling it is breaking it. You fucking broke a promise because you were afraid to deal with the truth, you faithless cowards. Then, when found out, you tried to squirm instead of actually living the open dialogue.

Admit your mistake, openly and without weasel words, then work to fix it and live up to the commitment you gave. Set an example not in the negative, but in the positive: We all fuck up some time. What matters is setting it right.