Yeah, you played it wrong. Contrary to the mentality of people in some of the subReddits, here, employers are not your parents, and will have definite limits of what they will put up with.

Frankly, if I was interviewing someone for a job, and I did not NEED you, I would have kicked you to the curb as well.

Next time, if they are pushing for something like that, just make some shit up.