You took a vacation? I guess you’re not a “team player.”

I used to work for a company like that. Essentially you had to ask permission in advance to only work 40 hours and even that was frowned upon.

How was it intended for you? Was it promised to you in writing? If someone verbally promised it, I'm afraid legally there's nothing you can do.

You never stood a chance

Go-Getters don't take vacations! They work their lives away in little cubicles being productive little bees so the company can profit more until they either get a watch after 50 years or they die first.

Your boss probably told you that because he didn't want to be the bad guy I doubt they couldn't wait a week or two to promote you... you were scammed...

Here’s a fact: you don’t miss out on a promotion just because you were on vacation. If it was intended for you it would have been waiting for you when you got back.

Or it is a shitty company/boss, creating a culture of fear where employees don't dare to take vacation and sick days because they're afraid on missing a promotion or something

Unless they told you, that you got the promotion. You didn’t get the promotion.
And if you put in for time off and it was approved then that shouldn’t affect it. Maybe there waiting to give it to you when you get back, so that they don’t explain the deity of your new duty’s and then leave. Better to just wait until your back.

OP, Except for very unusual conditions, nobody ever lost a promotion they were going to get by going on a planned vacation. You were probably misled as to the likelihood you were going to get the promotion. Sometimes managers lie, sometimes they imply things without actually promising it. Only trust things you get in writing for making important career plans - everything else can devolve down to BS.

You now know your manager is misleading at best or dishonest at worst. Take that into account for your career plans. It’s very hard to work for a person like that. I know because I had a boss like that before.