You pay 5ish grand for said ratings on promise of work.
That is the key sentence in your post.
If I invest 5k in
anything, I want to know exactly what I am getting. You wouldn't buy a car for 5k on a "promise" that it will work. You'd have it checked thoroughly by a mechanic. So why accept something less when it comes to aviation training, qualifications, or experience?
At the very least, a memo of agreement should have changed hands. Verbal promises are all too easy to forget.
My ha'penny worth: search for the next opportunity from today onwards, and secure it on a better, and more open and honest footing than your current situation. Once that is in place, clear out, pronto. In aviation, the machines, the techniques, the laws of physics, remain the same wherever you go. What varies wildly is the quality of people and organisations, and you need to start associating with the good ones a.s.a.p. There are plenty of them out there.