Wife Anxious About Endless Anonymous Calls, Horrified After Discovering It’s Her MIL

Let’s face it: mothers-in-law are the punchline of endless jokes, and often for a good reason. Whether they’re sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong, stomping on boundaries, or not-so-subtly hinting that their child could’ve done better, they can be a bit much.

One woman recently turned to an online community to reveal how she’d felt stalked and harassed by endless missed calls from a mystery number. After months of this, her husband asked her what the number was, and that’s when things got weird with his mom. 

 More info: Mumsnet

Spam calls are a sad reality of having a phone, and the callers are always finding new ways to barge into your life, like using burner numbers

Young woman in a hoodie looking frustrated at her smartphone, reacting to nonstop mystery calls from her MIL.

Image credits: SkelDry / Freepik (not the actual photo)

One woman felt “stalked” and “harassed” after months of endless missed calls from a number she didn’t recognize

Text post reading mother in law has been stalking and harassing me, questioning if being unreasonable, related to DIL freaked out by mystery number calls from MIL.

Text describing a woman’s frustration with nonstop mystery calls from a mobile number, related to a DIL and MIL conflict.

Text message describing attempts to call back a mystery number that never answered, suspected as spam calls.

Young woman looking annoyed while talking on phone, upset by nonstop calls from mystery number, confused outdoors.

Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The number didn’t come up marked as spam, but when she tried to call or text back, there was never an answer

Text about a DIL freaked out by a mystery number calling nonstop, later furious to find out it’s her own MIL.

Text message conversation showing confusion about mystery calls from mother-in-law’s mobile number not previously shared.

Text excerpt about disciplinary actions at work, related to a DIL freaked out by mystery number calls from her MIL.

Middle-aged woman wearing glasses sitting on couch, talking on phone, representing DIL receiving mysterious nonstop calls.

Image credits: teksomolika / Freepik (not the actual photo)

After her husband messaged her asking for the number, it turned out the mystery caller had been her mother-in-law all along

Text about a daughter-in-law freaked out by nonstop mystery calls, later discovering it’s from her own mother-in-law.

Text message screenshot expressing frustration over persistent calls from a mystery number related to DIL and MIL conflict.

Text excerpt from a DIL freaked out by mystery number calling nonstop, discovering it was her own MIL swapping her phone number.

Image credits: TheRealHousewifeofCheshire

Her husband just brushed it off, but the annoyed woman turned to an online community to ask if she was being unreasonable in finding the situation pretty weird

For months, the original poster (OP) had been getting mysterious missed calls from an unknown mobile number. Each time, she’d call it back, Google it, or text it, demanding to know who was calling, but she never got an answer. Since she worked in a building with no signal, she couldn’t pick up when the calls came in, which only frustrated her more.

She even tried calling back after work, but the mystery caller never picked up. At her wits’ end, OP assumed it was spam, or worse, someone harassing her because of her job, which frequently involved disciplining people. The calls went on for months, leaving her anxious and suspicious about who could possibly be behind them.

Then, during a medical appointment day at home, the mystery number called again, this time while she was in the shower. Later, her husband asked for the number and, when she sent it, he dropped the bombshell: the unknown caller was his mother. OP was speechless.

It turned out her mother-in-law had a new number but never told her. For months, she’d been unknowingly calling her, making her feel stalked. Hurt and confused, OP couldn’t understand why her mother-in-law had never mentioned it. Her husband brushed it off, but she’s still angry and turned to netizens to ask if she’s overreacting.

Smartphone screen displaying an unknown number dialing, representing a mystery caller causing distress to a daughter-in-law.

Image credits: Alexey Demidov / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Let’s be honest, spam calls are one of the worst things about owning a phone. They’re horribly intrusive, entirely unnecessary, and, despite regulation and caller ID technology, seemingly unstoppable. According to CPR CallBlocker, the uncertainty about the intentions behind each incoming call can trigger stress due to our mind’s tendency to anticipate negative scenarios.

The only thing worse than spam, as OP’s experience proves, is getting hounded by a mystery caller for months on end with no response to your texts. Did you know, though, that people can actually experience serious anxiety about taking and making calls?

In her article for VeryWellMind, Arlin Cuncic writes that phone call anxiety, or telephobia, is an intense fear of making or receiving phone calls, typified by avoidance and physical symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath. According to Cuncic, it’s a subtype of social anxiety, often stemming from a fear of judgment or a lack of unspoken cues in phone conversations.

Helen Russell from BBC Science Focus suggests a few ways to cope with telephobia, including making micro-calls, preparing very brief notes before a call, taking perspective (we overestimate how much we’re ever actually messing things up on the phone), and even faking a smile – yes, it actually works.

At least OP’s unknown number mystery was solved before she actually lost her mind over it. And thankfully, it didn’t turn out to be an ex-employee with a grudge against her, or worse, a scammer.

What do you think? Is OP overreacting, or does her mother-in-law’s spam calling and refusal to answer texts deserve a thorough explanation? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In the comments, readers seemed to agree that calling the mystery calls “stalking” was going a bit too far

Comment text discussing a daughter-in-law freaked out by mystery calls nonstop from her own mother-in-law.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a DIL freaked out by mystery calls from her own MIL nonstop.

Online forum post discussing a daughter-in-law freaked out by mystery calls from her mother-in-law's new number

Text from the mystery number calls revealing the MIL identity causing frustration for the DIL nonstop.

Text excerpt discussing being stalked and feeling offended, related to DIL freaked out by mystery number calls from her MIL.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a daughter-in-law freaked out by nonstop mystery calls from her own mother-in-law.

Text post discussing the relationship and phone calls between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law.

Comment text on screen about checking a mystery phone number causing a daughter-in-law to be upset with her mother-in-law.

Screenshot of a comment discussing a mystery number repeatedly calling and threatening, linked to DIL’s upset over MIL’s calls.

Text post expressing confusion about not seeing MIL for two years despite frequent calls from a mystery number linked to her.

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