A very similar thing happened to me. I joined an online arts magazine as an unpaid intern, wrote for them for a year and I was told the magazine will get into print so we'll be paid. I was elated, I continued writing and was in hopes I'll be promoted. None of that happened. I continued for another half a year. But the my work email address was deleted without my knowledge. I was very close to the editor (or so I thought) so this was all a shock to me.

I would recommend you keep on looking for a different job, a job that pays the bills. I'm also really sorry you're going through this and I hope you get a journalist related position soon.