Panicking about a HireRight background check after lying on my resume about a 9 month gap and unsure what to do
I finally got a job offer after a year and a half of unemployment. However, the recruiter informed me the background check will be conducted by HireRight and I'll need to provide W2s. I'm panicking because I was terminated by a past employer on January 2024 but on my resume I said I left in October 2024 right before starting my subsequent role, which I was laid off from after 3 months (which I was honest about). I'm paranoid that if I'm given a work history form by HireRight to fill out and I'm honest there, it will be cross-referenced with my resume and the offer will be rescinded, or I'll be outed by my earnings from that company on my 2024 W2.
Would I be better off coming clean before signing the offer letter, or should I sign, go through with the background check, and hope for the best? This job search has been an absolute never ending nightmare and I've reached a breaking point mentally...I don't think I can handle defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory here.