"No,"
Tiffany replied with a helpless laugh.
"Unfortunately, none of what you mentioned has happened yet."
It was clear that Camilla's teasing had lightened the mood, and Tiffany seemed much more at ease now.
"Other than these, I really can't think of anything you wouldn't feel comfortable telling me—or Calvin," Camilla said, resting her chin on her hand, her voice warm and encouraging.
"Fanny, if you don't just say it outright, I'll keep guessing, you know."
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you…"
On the other end of the line, Camilla stayed silent, waiting.
Behind Tiffany, Calvin stood motionless, listening intently.
"Camilla," Tiffany bit her lip, hesitating for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"I'm pregnant."
Her voice was soft and rushed, as if afraid the words might be heard too clearly.
Camilla froze in place, her hand still resting lightly on her abdomen.
Calvin stood rooted to the spot, his entire body rigid.
His strikingly handsome face was a mix of bewilderment, confusion, shock—and, of course, elation.
All these emotions tangled together, leaving his heart in turmoil.
Calvin took a deep breath and stepped forward quietly, though a closer look would reveal the slight unsteadiness in his stride.
Of course, Tiffany, lost in her own thoughts, didn't notice a thing.
"Camilla?"
Tiffany ventured cautiously into the silence on the other end of the line.
"Are you still there?"
"Of course I am," Camilla straightened up.
"I'm just… surprised.
Fanny, how far along are you?
Are you sure?"
"Not quite two months yet."
Tiffany's fair cheeks flushed faintly pink, as if something had crossed her mind, but she quickly composed herself.
"I've already been to the hospital for the check-up," She sighed, running her hand over her still-flat stomach, her voice tinged with confusion and uncertainty.
"Camilla, I don't know what to do now..."
"Being pregnant is a good thing," Camilla replied softly, her voice gentle and reassuring.
"You and Calvin are in a serious relationship with grandma.
Calvin's blessing—there's no need to hide it.
You can tell Calvin directly and start discussing marriage."
Tiffany remained silent. Camilla immediately picked up on the shift in her friend's mood.
"Fanny, is there something else bothering you?"
"I remember Calvin mentioning before that he doesn't want to get married yet," Tiffany admitted without hesitation.
"To be more precise, he's somewhat resistant to the idea of marriage—but you can't really blame him."
Camilla's delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she stayed quiet, waiting for Tiffany to continue.
Tiffany then shared everything she had learned from grandma.
Calvin.
Calvin's parents had been a classic case of a business alliance—a marriage without love.
In order to secure the heirship of the Calvin family, his mother had resorted to some underhanded tactics against Mr. Calvin, which ultimately led to Calvin's birth.
However, this very incident drove an ever-widening wedge between his parents.
Eventually, their relationship deteriorated beyond repair, and they couldn't even be bothered to maintain the facade of marriage.
Mr. Calvin outright left for an overseas subsidiary, where he started another family.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Calvin, her heart completely broken, spent most of her time traveling and rarely returned home.
Calvin witnessed all the misery of his parents' failed marriage.
Because of this, he grew deeply averse to the idea of marriage itself.
Camilla had heard Sinclair mention it once before, but she never imagined the situation was this complicated.
"Camilla," Tiffany's voice was calm as still water, yet the conflict in her words was unmistakable.
"I don't want Calvin to think I'm trying to trap him with this child."
Calvin had always been averse to marriage.
But Tiffany was a woman of traditional values.
Had it not been for that unexpected night, she would never have crossed that line before marriage.
Yet now that she was pregnant, she couldn't help but yearn for a stable union—a secure home for her child.
Her pearly teeth pressed lightly into her lower lip, and a shadow of worry lingered on her delicate, fair-skinned face.
She had originally planned to wait until Calvin overcame his reservations about marriage before considering their future.
But life had other plans—this child had arrived far sooner than expected.
"Fanny, I understand your concerns," Camilla said softly, waiting until Tiffany had finished speaking before responding.
"But people can change their minds.
Take Sinclair and me, for example.
Calvin might have been against marriage before, but being with you could have shifted his perspective."
Her tone was measured, her words carefully chosen to offer reassurance.
"What you need to do now is tell him everything—how you feel, what you want.
Have an honest conversation with him."
"But..."
Tiffany's throat tightened slightly, the words catching before they could form.
"Alright, let me think about how to put this."
"No matter what you decide, Fanny, I'll support you unconditionally."
Camilla knew that no matter what she said, it was ultimately Tiffany's decision to make as the person directly involved.
"Oh, by the way, Fanny, I've got some good news to share too."
Hearing this, Tiffany perked up immediately.
"What good news?"
Propping her chin on her hand, she grinned.
"I'm so down right now—come on, cheer me up."
Camilla couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
"I found Grandpa."
Tiffany's wide, expressive eyes went even rounder, and she fell silent for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"What did you just say?
You found Grandpa Rodriguez?!"
Her voice shot up several notches, brimming with excitement.
"Where did you find him? How?
Is he doing okay?
When are you coming back—"
Camilla couldn't help but laugh.
"So many questions—which one should I answer first?"
"Just the last two," Tiffany quickly decided, repeating her earlier words.
"How's Grandpa Rodriguez's health? And when are you coming back?"
"Grandpa isn't as strong as he used to be, but I'm confident I can nurse him back to his old self.
As for when we'll return..."
Camilla pressed her lips together, her voice calm but distant.
"It might still be a while."
"A while?"
Tiffany sighed dramatically, feigning disappointment.
"Ever since you got married, the distance between us just keeps growing—from different rooms to different cities, and now an entire country apart."
She pouted playfully.
"Tsk, tsk.
Classic case of 'husband first, best friend never.'"
Camilla knew Tiffany was teasing, but she still softened her tone to humor her for a bit.
Only when Tiffany finally laughed again did she stop.
After exchanging a few more lighthearted remarks, they ended the call.
After chatting with Camilla, Tiffany felt much better.
She stepped out of her room, intending to cut some fruit in the kitchen for Calvin, who was working in the study, when she spotted him sitting with his head slightly bowed, lost in thought.
"Calvin, why are you sitting here spacing out?