Most contracts (at least in the US) can be terminated by the employer at will with no further obligation to the employee. The only terms that are meaningful are those that obligate the employer to payment unconditionally, or upon termination.

That's what my friend told me too when I was considering the original offer. I actually flat out rejected it because it was far too low. They went up a little bit when I did that and then the promises came too. I figured 6 months wasn't so long and I could always look for something else if they don't keep their end.