"Well, if I had to take a stab in the dark, I would say that's because you're smart." Of course, she wasn't going to buy his bullshit, nobody usually did. The only difference between her and everyone else was that they knew better than to press him any further. Fortunately, he was far calmer than usual and he wasn't about to lose his shit on her.
"Listen, you only heard the surface story. The situation goes a little deeper than that and it is not my only issue. I appreciate the concern and the effort, but nothing you can say will change any of that."