Firm-Ability-9501's journey

I'm feeling pretty anxious about my job search after being laid off from a private company where I worked for just four months. I had transitioned from a restaurant job where I had to quit on bad terms, losing that reference in the process. Now, with my background in English literature and experience in admin roles, I've been applying to hundreds of jobs in Canada but the market is really tough. I've been getting interviews regularly, but I've hit a snag during the reference check stage. After making it to the final stages for a couple of positions, I've been informed that they decided not to hire me following the reference checks. This has happened twice now, and it's left me feeling uneasy. My former manager, who I used as a reference, told me I could use her, but I'm starting to worry that she might be saying something negative about my work. I reached out to a coworker from that job, who I know would speak positively about me, but it hasn't helped. I even contacted one of the owners of the company I worked for, who agreed to be a reference, but I'm hesitant since he wasn't my direct manager. I'm really at a loss and panicking about my job prospects. I just want to know if I'm completely doomed or if there are other options I should consider.