Literally the worst that can happen to me if I'm really really unlucky is end up tied down to a single provider, same as you.
There were already 100s of registars back then (and as of 2024 there were over 2000) along with a standardized process for moving a domain to another registar, all regulated by an international regulator, ICANN.
Given that ease of migration is guaranteed by ICANN, making the market highly competitive, the only real risk that this entire system end up "consolidated" is if ICANN is totally subverted, a pretty tall order considering it's in the interest of every single country in the World and millions of businesses (who also have domain names) that it is not, so that's highly unlikely.
Meanwhile Google is just one and has always been just one. From the very start there was NEVER any perspective of there being more than one provider of gmail addresses so there was NEVER any perspective of being able to move away from Google and still keep your e-mail address if Google screwed you in some way. As for all your e-mails, those were always freely accessible to Google and they could always do whatever they want with that data.
In simple terms, you chose to be Google's bitch and hope that they don't screw you over too badly, whilst I, maybe, if I'm really really unlucky and an entire international system for domain name regulation is subverted against the interests of all countries in the World and most businesses, might one day at worst end up in the same situation as you.
I'm afraid your face-saving risk "analysis" on this is hilariously bad.