A Printer's Nightmare: Unhappily Ever After

At an early age, we are conditioned to hearing stories that wrap up nicely in the end. The good guy prevails, the evil doer is foiled and our hero gets the girl. The stock ending line, "and they lived happily ever after," adds a pretty bow to the wrapping of life's little travails. Yes, our work is done, and everyone gets to go home happy.